9/14/2015
I-84 Meridian Interchange will begin operating in its final configuration by Tuesday morning (Sept. 15)
BOISE – The new signal at the Interstate 84 Meridian Road Interchange will be activated by Tuesday morning (Sept. 15). Once it is operational, the signal will control all turns through the interchange from a central point.
Tonight (Monday, Sept. 14), Meridian Road will be reduced to one lane in each direction at I-84 while crews activate the new signal. Lanes will be restricted and flaggers will control traffic through the interchange from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The configuration of controlling all turns from a central traffic signal is called a single-point urban interchange, or a SPUI. SPUIs are designed to increase capacity, reduce delay and enhance the flow of traffic. Click here watch a video about how to navigate a SPUI.
The intersection of Meridian Road and Overland Road will also be fully reopened by Tuesday morning. Lane restrictions have been in place for the past year at the intersection as crews rebuilt and improved Meridian Road.
“Operating the Meridian Interchange as a SPUI and opening the Overland intersection are significant milestones,” said ITD Project Engineer Jayme Coonce. “These changes are intended to move traffic on and off I-84 more efficiently as work under the interchange continues.”
The Meridian Interchange will be the fourth SPUI in Idaho. Its completion follows shortly on the heels of the I-84 Broadway Avenue Interchange that opened several weeks ago. The Vista Avenue and Ten Mile interchanges were constructed in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Traffic volumes at the Meridian Interchange are expected to double by the year 2035. Today, 128,000 vehicles travel over, under, on and off the interchange each day. By 2035, this number is projected to reach over a quarter of a million vehicles per day.
To sign up for email construction updates, email comments@itd.idaho.gov, visit www.itd.idaho.gov/MeridianInterchange, or call (208) 334-8938.