McCall Idaho Headline News

The $2.6 million Boydstun Street widening project is about halfway to completion, according to the construction manager.

"It doesn't look like it right now, but it cleans up pretty fast," said Debco Construction President Lonnie Simpson of Orofino.

The complex project includes a widening of the street to include two wide lanes with turn bays at intersections and enough shoulder space to include a recreational pathway. Water line improvements, electric, cable and phone line relocation and retaining walls are a part of the project.

So far, coordination of the project with the city of McCall, the Idaho Department of Transportation and Idaho Power is going well, Simpson said.

Retaining wall crews from Avalon Landscapes of Boise work on one of 12 retaining walls required along the Boydstun Street widening project. The $2.6-million project will widen the road to include turn bays at intersections and could be completed by late September. The street is closed to all traffic, except for people who live on the street.

Power crews have begun work to move utility poles and lines to the new right of ways along the mile-long stretch of road.

Currently, the poles are located in what will be the center of the road.

"In three weeks to a month, they should be out of our way," Simpson said. "We are way ahead of schedule. If Idaho Power and Cable One can move their utilities by the middle of August, we can be paving in September."

Simpson believes the project can be completed by the end of September if everything continues to go well.

Walls and water lines
Right now, the contractor is grading the road and doing excavation work along the corridor.
Avalon Landscapes of Boise, a subcontractor, is putting in 12 retaining walls required in the project, Simpson said. The retaining walls are required in spots along the street where the right of way is narrow.

A new 12-inch waterline to service the west side of McCall has been placed in the ground from the project's southern entrance to the Whitetail property along Boydstun, he said.

"We still have about 1,300 to 1,500 feet of water line to go," Simpson said.

Electrical work also needs to be done at the intersection of Boydstun and Idaho 55 to accommodate a future traffic light there.

The contractor will have to deal with some groundwater on the project near the Idaho 55 intersection, but he believes the work will be done no later than October and likely by the end of September.

The project does not include any sewer line work. It does have a few new culverts and drainage work that will have to be done.

Simpson has been impressed with city street superintendent Rick Schiermeier's commitment to the project.

"He takes control of any problem," he said. "He is great to work with, because you know he cares and will get the job done." While Simpson said he has not had any problems with the local traffic, Schiermeier and the McCall Police Department are worried about vandalism and non-local traffic disregarding signs and flaggers at the project.

"Through traffic is going through there, and they are not supposed to," Schiermeier said. "The road is technically closed to anybody who does not live on that road."

Construction barrels at the project have been thrown off the road or stolen, and some have been run over by cars. Construction signs and barriers have been moved, and flashing lights to warn motorists the road is closed have been smashed, Schiermeier said.

"People are crazy and are not listening to the flaggers," he said.

When motorists disregard the instructions of flaggers, the McCall Police Department is called by the flaggers and a license plate number is given. Police will issue citations to motorists who should not be using the road, Schiermeier said.