Weekly Construction Update 6/23/2023
DATE: Friday, June 23, 2023
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
In observance of the Independence Day holiday (Fourth of July), crews will be offsite starting Friday, June 30, by 3:00 p.m. and will return on Wednesday, July 5, at 6:00 a.m.
TRAFFIC IMPACT AND DURATION:
Sunday, June 25, through Friday, June 30, during nighttime hours, 7:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m., crews will continue installing underground utilities (waterline and duct bank) at the intersection of U.S. Route 2/7 (U.S. 2/7) and Mountain View Drive. At least one travel lane will remain open in each direction during the nighttime hours. Side street access will be maintained throughout this work. Motorists are strongly encouraged to use caution while driving through the work zone and pay close attention to signage as traffic patterns will change.
Monday, June 26, through Friday, June 30, during the daytime hours, 6:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., crews will continue removing materials including the roadway surface and subsurface ledge to facilitate the installation of underground utilities (duct bank). Early next week, this work will take place near the Interstate 89 (I-89) northbound offramp. Mid-week, this work will take place near the I-89 southbound onramp. Crews will also pave sections of the roadway disturbed during nightwork. This work will require the closures of various travel lanes along U.S. 2/7 throughout the project area. Only a single travel lane will be closed in each direction during daytime hours. Traffic will be maintained through traffic shifts.
There will be intermittent closures of the left turn lane from U.S. 2/7 northbound onto Mountain View Drive throughout the week. Motorists are still permitted to make a left from U.S. 2/7 from the center lane when the protected left turn phase is called, and the green left turn arrow is illuminated. Motorists are prohibited from making a left onto Mountain View Drive when the red left arrow is illuminated. Motorists that are uncomfortable making a left from the center lane or do not wish to wait for the green arrow may continue northbound to access Mountain View Drive from Rathe Road. Motorists traveling to and from points north are encouraged to seek alternate routes, such as Rathe Road, to avoid the work zone if possible.
Blasting operations will continue throughout the week during the daytime hours. Blasting will be restricted to the hours of (6:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.). Daily blasting notifications will be posted to the project website. Additional traffic restrictions during blasting operations are described below.
U.S. Route 2/7
Four minutes prior to each blasting event, Uniformed Traffic Officers (UTOs) and barricades will be placed at either end of the blasting zone on U.S. 2/7 and the I-89 offramps to prevent vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from entering the blasting zone. The blasting zone is anticipated to be between South Park Drive and Mountain View Drive, however, this area will be refined based on the specific blasting location. Flaggers will be present at adjacent businesses and sideroads to prevent pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles from entering the area. Once the area is secured, the blasting event will take place. After each blasting event, a blasting specialist will clear the area before allowing users to reenter the blasting zone. The I-89 interstate offramps will be cleared before U.S. 2/7 traffic is released. Wait times are not anticipated to exceed 10 minutes.
Interstate 89
Four minutes prior to each blasting event, UTOs and SDI construction vehicles will initiate a rolling roadblock between Exit 14 and 17 along I-89 northbound and southbound. Rolling roadblocks slow traffic down to create a gap in traffic to allow the blasting event to take place safely. A pilot vehicle will follow the last vehicle impacted by the rolling roadblock to inform the team once the area in the blasting zone is secured. The rolling roadblock will continue until the hard stop location is reached. To learn more about rolling roadblocks, watch this video created by the Kansas Turnpike.
All users should expect delays and plan ahead.
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES:
Throughout the week, during nighttime hours, crews will continue to install underground utilities (waterline and duct bank) along U.S. 2/7 and Mountain View Drive. Nightwork will take place at the intersection of U.S. 2/7 and Mountain View Drive. Drive the daytime hours, crews will pave sections of disturbed roadway at the intersection of U.S. 2/7 and Mountain View Drive and along U.S. 2/7 throughout the project area. Crews will also continue removing materials including the roadway surface and subsurface ledge to facilitate the installation of underground utilities (duct bank). This work will take place along U.S. 2/7 near the I-89 northbound offramp and the I-89 southbound onramp and will require blasting. In addition, crews may resume work on the retaining wall along the west side of U.S. 2/7. This work will require the removal of ledge and other materials using a hydraulic hammer. This work will take place outside of the roadway.
Starting Monday through Wednesday, independent utility work will take place along the east side of U.S. 2/7 near McDonald’s. This work will take place during the daytime hours and will require a lane closure along U.S. 2/7.
Blasting activities are anticipated to occur twice a weekday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. A blasting event will occur at each location as described above.
Please check the Exit 16 DDI project website or interactive map for daily updates on blasting locations, local impacts, and estimated blasting windows. For more information on blasting activities, click here.
Crews continue working to install underground utilities throughout the project area
LOCATION: U.S. 2/7 in Colchester starting at the Winooski town line and continuing north for 1.05 miles to Sunderland Woods Road.
PROJECTED COMPLETION: Contract 1 Spring 2024, Contract 2 Summer 2026