ITD delays construction on highway near casino

Construction on a new interchange on U.S. Highway 95 at the east entrance of Aht’Wy Plaza that adjoins the Clearwater River Casino has been delayed because of rising construction costs, the Idaho Transportation Department and the Nez Perce Tribe announced Wednesday.

Doral Hoff, district engineer for the transportation department, said in a news release that the goal was to start work on the interchange this spring.

“But prices on materials have compelled both parties to step back and consider how to move forward,” Hoff said.

Construction costs have increased for essential materials like steel, concrete, asphalt and fuel. While the project will still make use of $19 million in grant funding, costs have escalated since the grant was announced in September 2020.

Because of the price increases, the Tribe has contributed an additional $1.2 million for construction. More recent estimates call for another $5.5 million. To cover this increase, the project was submitted for additional federal funding. Recipients will be announced later this summer.

Advertisement for the project will be delayed until this summer and the Tribe and the transportation department will decide how to proceed. If the project is awarded more money, construction could begin late this summer.

Mary Beth Frank Clark, transportation manager for the Tribe, said the Tribe and the department “are still committed to working together to see this project through, despite any funding challenges.”

The interchange project is not the only one to be delayed because of cost increases. Last week, the Idaho Transportation Board rejected the bid to resurface eight miles of U.S. Highway 12 between Orofino and Greer. That project will not be advertised again until fall for construction next spring.

“Inflation and supply chain issues continue to make construction a challenging time for transportation departments across the nation,” Hoff said. “We budget increases for every project every year due to inflation, but we were not expecting such severe circumstances.”

The transportation department staff will continue to monitor guidance from national transportation economists and results from bid openings to avoid delaying additional projects. The department is also partnering with the Associated General Contractors of Idaho to limit the effects of inflation.