From the ITD Vault: 20 Years Ago: This past Tuesday (Aug. 5) marked the official opening of the $6.34 million reconstructed and realigned Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard from Wilson Drain to Karcher junction. Although the project took just seven months to complete, it took years of effort to get started. When the boulevard was first built, it was more than adequate to handle traffic !lows. But over the years, as the area grew into one of the major retail destinations in the Treasure Valley and the number of automobiles using the route skyrocketed, the road became antiquated. Several years ago, Canyon County officials identified the corridor as a prime area for future development, and in need of safety improvements. Due primarily to a lack of left-turn lanes and its narrow width, the business route was an annual guest on the state's higher-than-average accident rate list. Editor's 2017 Note: Traffic volume has changed on this stretch of road, but only slightly in the last 20 years - It has grown from an average of about 19,500 vehicles per day between Karcher Junction and Sundance in 1997 to about 21,500 in that same area today. Published 03-31-17 |