U.S. Highway 95 construction resumes this week
New stretch of highway expected to be completed and open to the public late this year
Construction on the new U.S. Highway 95 section between Moscow and Thorn Creek Road will resume this week, according to the Idaho Department of Transportation.
The segment of the current highway near Reisenauer Hill will be limited to one lane in each direction and drivers are expected to slow down to 45 mph in the work zone, according to an IDT news release distributed Monday.
Crews are working to realign and expand 6 miles of the highway to add capacity, reduce travel times and improve safety on the roadway. The new highway will have four lanes.
Construction crews have nearly completed 5 of the new highway’s 6 miles. They will spend this year paving the new alignment and building two bridges over Thorn Creek to connect the new roadway to the existing U.S. 95. Bridge construction will continue in the fall.
The project is expected to be completed late this year.
The existing U.S. 95 will temporarily close this summer at Reisenauer Hill as ITD switches traffic over to the new highway.
At that time, Latah County will assume ownership of the old route and plans to use funds from the Thorn Creek project to repave and reopen it.
Portions of this project are funded as part of Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho transportation funding initiative, ITD says.
Drivers can check traffic information by visiting 511.idaho.gov.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
