BOISE, Idaho — Travel is on the rise as many are expecting a busy summer season in the Gem State, not just for divers, but also for the annual return of road work.
The Idaho Transportation Department has major projects outlined in the months ahead, with the main goal of limiting commute times for Idaho’s skyrocketing population.
“This year is going to be a very busy year for construction on Idaho’s highways, particularly here in Southwest Idaho,” said Jake Melder, a spokesperson for the Idaho Transportation Department.
Melder said road crews are starting to see some new funding sources come through. The extra money is coming from the state's general fund, meaning taxes aren’t rising and Idaho’s infrastructure problems are being addressed.
“Which means we can start to invest in and build out, add some lanes,” he said. “This year we are going to be seeing construction on the highway in southwest Idaho, over 30 million dollars worth of value and so that's a considerable amount relative to where we have been in previous years.”
State lawmakers recently passed additional funding for the department using the transportation expansion and congestion mitigation fun, which allows for the expansion of roads, like Highway 16.
“In some areas, particularly in cities across the state, we are seeing a lot of growth and we are trying to have the widening done to continue to enhance safety and capacity, to keep people moving, but keep them moving safely.”
The road widening doesn’t stop there, Idaho Transportation Department will expand Interstate 84 in Canyon County, Chinden Boulevard and Eagle Road near the Village at Meridian.
“Growing here is going to mean you will have longer commute areas and our goal isn't to reduce what your commute is, but rather make sure what your commute is today, over the long term, stays the same even as we grow,” said Melder.
ITD said the roadwork will address the return of travel, which saw a 5 to 10% drop during the pandemic. Now, the traffic is mirroring Idaho’s growth.
“At the end of the day we are here to bring people, what they have asked us to do and transportation has consistently ranked as one of the highest priorities particularly in the Treasure Valley,” he said. “Look out for those construction signs, those orange cones, we are going to let you know do you need to slow down, are you losing a lane coming up drive attentively, follow the signs and I guarantee you will be able to get through it safely.”
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: