4/10/2006
Chinden Boulevard widening between HP and Joplin begins late April; public open house April 12
BOISE - Crews will begin a project to widen Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20/26) from three lanes to five between the Hewlett Packard main entrance and Joplin Road/Mountain View Drive in late April, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
To provide additional information and answer questions about this project, a public open house will be held on Wednesday (April 12) at the Idaho Transportation Department District Three Building (8150 Chinden Blvd.). The public is encouraged to drop by any time between 4 and 7 p.m.
In addition to two more lanes of traffic, this roadway improvement will include realigned intersections at Joplin Road and Mountain View Drive and bicycle lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalks to both sides of the road.
During construction, the center turn lane on Chinden will be eliminated and traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction. In the evenings between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., motorists should expect additional lane restrictions with flagger assistance. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained.
In order to expedite this project, work may be done during day and nighttime hours, seven days a week. Idaho Sand & Gravel is the contractor on this $6.9 million project, expected to be complete in late fall/early winter 2006.
ITD is working with the city of Boise's Cloverdale Southwest Relief Sewer Project, currently in progress, in an effort to complete sewer construction prior to commencement of the widening. As a part of the sewer project, motorists should expect detours and delays on Chinden Boulevard between Eagle Road and Five Mile Road during three consecutive weekends (April 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30) for the installation of the new sewer line.
Chinden Boulevard receives more than 26,000 vehicle trips per day and the number is expected to increase to 30,000-36,000 per day by the year 2030.
This is the second phase in a three phase project. In November 2003, Phase One of the Chinden Widening project, between Eagle Road and Cloverdale Road, was completed. Phase Three, scheduled for construction in Spring 2007, will widen the roadway between Cloverdale Road and the HP Main Entrance, connecting Phases One and Two and completing a five-lane roadway from Eagle Road through Garden City.
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE
WHEN: 4-7 p.m. Wednesday April 12, 2006.
WHERE: ITD District Three Building, 8150 Chinden Boulevard, on the north side of Chinden, just west of Glenwood.