Transportation Department

NAMPA A ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Interstate 84 Karcher Interchange project and an open house to learn more about it will take place Tuesday (Aug. 2) and Wednesday (Aug. 3), the Idaho Transportation Department announced. Both the ceremony and the open house are open to the public.

The groundbreaking ceremony is at the northwest corner of the intersection of Karcher Road and Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard at 11 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 2). Featured speakers will be:

• Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Charles L. Winder
• Nampa Mayor Tom Dale
• Nampa Business Center developer Russell Keithly

In addition, special guest Ken Karcher, grandson of the couple who first homesteaded the site of the Karcher Mall and Karcher Ranch Market, will attend with family members.

The open house is in the Nampa Civic Center lobby, 311 S. 3rd Street South in Nampa from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 3). Representatives from ITD, the city of Nampa and the contractor will be available to discuss the project and answer questions.

Work on the project is expected to begin Aug. 3 with the demolition of buildings and clearing the site. The interchange is expected to be open for traffic in winter 2006.

The interchange project includes several major features:

• A five-lane overpass carrying Idaho 55
• Five bridges three over Indian Creek, one over the Union Pacific railroad tracks and one over I-84
• A new five-lane roadway extending from the interchange to Karcher Road/Idaho 55 past Edwards Cinemas
• A two-lane roadway called the Karcher Connector will link Karcher Road with the overpass at a junction with Midland Road
• Bike lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalk

Traffic impacts early in the project are expected to be minor; however, there will be significant truck traffic on Idaho 55, Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard and I-84 from construction vehicles.

Traffic impacts will be more significant in spring 2006 when resurfacing of the intersection of Karcher Road and Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard is expected to begin.

Central Paving Co. of Boise is the contractor on this $30 million project.