From the ITD Vault: 20 Years Ago:
Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard dedicated            

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.

For motorists, pedestrians, businesses and residences along the route, there was a definite need for improvement. So, for the sake of public safety, 141 property owners along the boulevard route worked with the transportation department and donated parcels of their land to provide the needed right of way to widen the boulevard. The Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard reconstruction is just the latest example of public-private partnerships stretching taxpayer dollars.

In all, the project rebuilt 3.8 miles of the boulevard, including wider vehicle lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks, a continuous left-tum lane, roadway storm drainage, new traffic signals at Happy Day Boulevard, improved traffic signal at Ustick Road, and a sound wall around the Evergreen Mobile Home Park & Storage Units in Nampa.

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