(L-R) are Julie DeLorenzo, Idaho Transportation Board member; Dave Case, Ada County Commissioner; Caldwell mayor Garrett Nancols; Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter; Brian Ness, ITD director; Brandye Hendrickson, FHWA deputy administrator; and Tom Dale, Canyon County Commission president.
Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Brandye Hendrickson and Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter commemorated the historic approval of a $90.2 million grant that will help fund the expansion of Interstate 84 in Canyon County.
The grant is part of the Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) program, administered through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The program is a major investment in transportation funding by the Trump Administration. Across the nation, grants totaling nearly $1.5 billion have been proposed through INFRA.
"What we've seen here today is a tremendous spirit of collaboration," said Hendrickson. "When it comes to improving roads in Idaho and rural communities in other parts of the country, the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Federal Highway Administration are here to help you all. We're proud to support efforts to move freight more efficiently into and out of Idaho and by awarding this INFRA grant, we can make travel along I-84 safer."
The I-84 Corridor project began in 2008 and spans from Gowen Road in Boise to Caldwell. The INFRA grant will help fund construction of an additional travel lane and auxiliary lanes from Franklin Blvd. to Karcher Rd. in Nampa, an estimated $150 million project.
ITD will use funds allocated by the Idaho Legislature to cover remaining costs, including funds from Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation, the General Fund Surplus and a portion of the Cigarette Tax dedicated to transportation.
"Our primary concern in government is keeping our citizen's safe," said Otter. "This project not only addresses safety, but also improves mobility and enhances economic opportunity. Whether it's potato chips or computer chips, this new addition to our transportation infrastructure will help get Idaho value-added products to market quicker and safer while helping to address the booming growth of the Treasure Valley. It is a vital expansion to a critical economic corridor that benefits Idaho, the region and the world."
The grant application was a joint effort of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) and ITD, with the city of Caldwell and Canyon County each contributing $125,000 in matching funds. Community support is a critical qualification for receiving INFRA funds.
"The success of ITD's bid was due in no small part to partnerships with other state and local agencies," said Brian Ness, ITD director. "Financial contributions from the city of Caldwell and Canyon County, and assistance from agencies such as COMPASS, the Idaho Department of Commerce, and our Congressional delegation supported the need to fund this critical corridor."
Construction on the project will begin this fall. Temporary lanes will be paved on the existing shoulders to ensure two lanes of travel in each direction will remain open during peak hours throughout construction.
"Widening Interstate 84 in Canyon County is the number one transportation priority in Ada and Canyon Counties," explained Dave Case, COMPASS board chair and Ada County commissioner. "ITD, COMPASS, and many other partners have worked tirelessly together to secure funding to meet this need. This hard work has paid off today with the award of this $90 million INFRA grant. Thank you, [FHWA] Deputy Administrator Hendrickson, for recognizing this need and joining us today."
For more information, visit itdprojects.org/projects/i-84-karcher-to-franklin/.
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