W.W. Clyde & Co. has been awarded the contract for a $2.7-million overpass construction project in Twin Falls.

Photo courtesy of IDOT

The new Twin Falls overpass will tie into the U.3. 93 Twin Falls Alternate Route project, currently under construction, that takes the place of an originally proposed stoplight.

The new overpass will tie into the U.S. 93 Twin Falls Alternate Route project, another W.W. Clyde-led project currently under construction. Both projects are expected complete in the fall.

The flyover takes the place of the originally proposed stoplight, which was part of the U.S. 93 Alternate Route project when construction began last fall. With the overpass in place of the stoplight, traffic from the alternate route will continue around the 60-mph curve, while eastbound traffic on Pole Line Road will travel — or “fly” — over the alternate route and merge into traffic without stopping.

The flyover provides increased safety for the public, eliminates the need for drivers to stop, which eliminates several potential conflict points, and maintains the flow of traffic along the alternate route.

Upon completion, the new U.S. 93 Twin Falls Alternate Route project, which now includes the flyover, will be a two-lane, limited-access road. The new road will be wider and follow a different alignment than the current road. This project will provide a bypass option for traffic traveling past Twin Falls, separating through traffic, particularly commercial traffic, from local motorists using Twin Falls as a destination.

Students from Bishop Kelly High School in Boise claimed the title “Best Overall” during the fifth annual JETS/Ability One National Engineering Design Challenge.

The NEDC is a competition that educates young people about careers in engineering, raises social awareness and inspires a spirit of engagement and a willingness to help others. Five teams of high school students from across the country competed in the NEDC Finals at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Va. The competition included presentations by each team in the morning, a design showcase during lunch and an awards ceremony in the afternoon.

The Bishop Kelly High School team presented the Portable Assistive Writing Device, an assistive technology designed to aid a person with a tremor to write more legibly using a pen or pencil.

Team members included: Dominic Chumich, Yuanhao Ding, Kate Franklin, Samuel Kosydar, Yi Zi Li, Lauren Naughton, Karl Schutz and Nic Wendt, led by team coaches Guy Hudson and Larry Neznanski. The team won $3,000 for its school.

Attorney Joe Meuleman has been named to serve a three-year term on the Construction Leadership Council Steering Committee of the Associated General Contractors of America.

The Steering Committee is comprised of 17 individuals chosen from local AGC chapters across the United States. It was created to help structure AGC of America for the future, to create and promote industry innovation, and to discuss issues and provide feedback to AGC leadership. Members of the Steering Committee participate on other AGC of America committees during their three-year term.

Meuleman is an attorney with the Boise law firm Meuleman Mollerup LLP, practicing in the areas of construction law and commercial litigation. He represents contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, sureties and project developers in a variety of construction-related disputes and transactions.

Before graduating from law school, Meuleman attained 10 years of construction experience in general construction, project management and cost controls. He has been actively involved with the Idaho AGC since 2004. Meuleman completed a legal internship with the AGC of America in 2006 in Arlington, Va., where he co-authored a report titled, “The AGC of America Guide to Employee Travel Reimbursement.”