I-90 projects on the horizon for Shoshone County

by JOSH McDONALD
Local Editor | February 27, 2024 1:00 AM

Roadwork throughout Shoshone County’s portion of the I-90 corridor is expected to resume thanks to the milder-than-usual winter weather that has been enjoyed by many.

According to Heather McDaniel, a public information officer with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), three major projects are set to begin in the coming weeks, spanning the length of the Silver Valley.

Beginning on the west end of the county, crews will be completing a rehab of the bridge deck on I-90 over Pine Creek near Pinehurst.

The multi-year project in Kellogg will wrap up this spring when the final concrete overlays are completed on the eastbound side of the Division Street and Elizabeth Park overpasses.

Both of these projects are expected to be completed roughly one month after they begin, which McDaniel expects to be in April.

The biggest project in Shoshone County is the second year of construction on the I-90 stretch from Osburn to Wallace.

“This project will be the most impactful of the three for traffic this year, requiring crossovers to the eastbound lanes, and intermittent on and off-ramp closures at Silverton and on the west side of Wallace,” McDaniel said. “This project will span the duration of the season with an anticipated completion date in the fall. At the end of the season, the project limits will expand to include repaving from Big Creek to Osburn and a short section east of Wallace.”

The work between Osburn and Wallace addresses two major issues; the first being the prevention of historically dangerous water-over-road situations that would occur near Wallace anytime a good rainstorm moved through the area. The second issue was the aged nature of the surface of the highway, which requires crews to scrape more than a foot of old paving materials from the roadway.

Once the old roadway is removed, ITD will complete the drainage system that they began on the other side of the highway last year.

The speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour in all three zones while they are active.