In the largest grant it has ever received, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) was rewarded with a $90.2 million Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant to widen part of I-84.
The grant serves as 60% of the funding needed to expand 2.8 miles of I-84 from the Karcher Interchange to the Franklin Boulevard Interchange. The highway, which narrows down to two lanes west of Franklin, will be widened to three lanes in each direction. The expansion officially begins this year, and the Nampa portion is expected to be complete in 2021.
INFRA grants are awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) to fund highway and bridge improvements. In June, the U.S. DOT announced it was proposing almost $1.5 billion in INFRA grants to support 26 projects across the nation, including the I-84 expansion.
Canyon County Commissioner Tom Dale told local sources that from 2011 to 2015, there were 169 injuries or fatal accidents on the portion of I-84 that will be widened. He said the planned improvements have the potential to reduce the injury accidents along the corridor by 27 each year.
The construction along the 2.8-mile stretch of I-84 will begin with widening the shoulders of the road. The shoulder widening is expected to begin in September or October, and the next phase of the project will focus on the Karcher Overpass this winter. Widening I-84 through Nampa is expected to cost around $150 million in total. With the $90 million grant, the remaining funding comes from state and local sources.
----------
Source: Idaho Press / The Spokesman-Review
