BURLEY, Idaho (News Release) – The final set of girders have been delivered and were placed this week, giving form to the first of two new bridges spanning the Snake River near Declo.

The Interstate 84 Twin Bridges project is still months away from its mid-point, but the girders finally give a visual reference for the new structures.

Started in May 2015, the Twin Bridges project has seen the removal of the original westbound I-84 bridge, built in 1960. In July, traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge and the process of removal and construction will shift south to the eastbound structure.

“You can see the camber in the bridge, and with the falsework you can start to see the peak at the center and pitch of how the driving surface will look,” ITD project inspector Jack Kelley said. “It’s been a smooth project so far.”

This is the second bridge built in the project so far. The first was a temporary work platform set into the river bed between the two bridges from which all the bridge removal and construction has been completed. The temporary platform will be dismantled in the end, but not before both structures are built.

Fortunately, for locals and frequent travelers, travel through the construction zone and access to the interstate at the Declo Interchange (Exit 216) has been impacted little throughout construction.

The original 1,100-foot structures, built as part of the original interstate construction, were both considered structurally deficient. When complete, the new bridges will be slightly longer, feature wider shoulders, include fewer piers in the water and increase vertical clearance for river traffic. The work is expected to be completed by mid-2017.

Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction, of Draper, Utah, is the contractor for the $17.88 million project.

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