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Work to start on next section of Winchester Grade Work is expected to begin Wednesday, March 9, to build the next 2.3 miles of a new passing lane for southbound drivers on U.S. Highway 95 between Culdesac and Winchester. Construction will begin with tree removal and excavation east of the highway. “Some blasting is planned to make room for the extra lane and will start once we dig down to solid rock,” Resident Engineer Curtis Arnzen said. “That will likely happen in the spring, though we don’t have a good date yet. Generally drivers should expect that all traffic could be stopped in both directions for up to 15 minutes at a time through construction.” Once scheduled, blasts will be timed to avoid peak travel times and will typically require a one-hour closure. Crews will also replace the culvert for Rock Creek. For most of construction, drivers can expect all existing lanes to remain open. The contractor may reduce the highway to one lane at night. “Impacts this year will be very similar to the project we completed in 2020 that added three miles of passing lane just south of this area,” Arnzen said. “This is part of a corridor-wide plan to finish building an 11-mile passing lane in Culdesac Canyon to provide safer opportunities for drivers to pass.” Drivers should pay attention to signs in the work zone to learn about the timing of the next blast or check 511.idaho.gov. Construction is scheduled to end by early November.  Work was expected to start Wednesday, March 9 on another 2.3 miles of passing lane on Winchester Grade. The photo above is from the section of highway that will get upgraded. Photo by ITD.
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