2/1/2025
Sophia Miraglio
ITD Communication
208-994-2298
sophia.miraglio@itd.idaho.gov
Lane closures on Chinden Boulevard will begin Monday near SH-16 in Meridian
MERIDIAN – The Idaho Transportation Department will begin installing girders this month for the new interchange at State Highway 16 and U.S. Highway 20/26 (Chinden Boulevard). The work represents a major construction milestone and will require lane reductions and detours on US-20/26 for several weeks.
Starting Monday ITD will reduce US-20/26 to one lane in each direction during daytime hours until late March. Crews will install temporary shoring towers to support the girders. Nighttime detours will also be in place as early as Monday, Feb. 10 in the interchange area. Traffic on US-20/26 will be detoured from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. for three weeks. Click here for the detour map.
Closures will allow crews to safely place 12 steel girders estimated to weigh 83,000 lbs. each across the roadway for the interchange bridge. Each girder is approximately 189 feet long and will be installed in three parts.
"The new interchange is a key part of the State Highway 16 extension project,” ITD Project Manager Dan Gorley said. “We are asking the travelling public to plan ahead during this significant operation. If you are able, please schedule travel outside the detour hours or find another route. We appreciate the community’s patience during this time.”
The new interchange will allow traffic on SH-16 to travel over Chinden Boulevard without stopping. It will include dedicated on- and off-ramps and turn lanes, including a “loop” ramp for eastbound Chinden Boulevard traffic turning north onto SH-16. The loop ramp will eliminate a high-speed left turn from the existing intersection.
Stay informed about State Highway 16 construction by signing up for email and text alerts. Text HIGHWAY16 to 1-866-483-8422 or visit itdprojects.org/sh16corridor.
