4/26/2016
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Meridian Road Interchange rebuild wins engineering achievement award
BOISE - The recently completed
reconstruction of the Meridian Interchange, originally built in 1965,
won the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Southern Idaho
section award for Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement this week,
in a category for projects costing greater than $10 million.
In the $50.8 million project, ITD replaced the Meridian
Interchange with a Single-Point Urban Interchange (SPUI), and improved Interstate 84 between Meridian and
Five Mile roads, including widening the freeway to four lanes in each
direction under the interchange. The work also added a third lane over the top on
Meridian Road, and installed sidewalks and a bike lane.
“Completion of the Meridian Interchange would not have been possible
without the close collaboration between the Idaho Transportation
Department and its design and contracting partners, as well as many
community stakeholders,” said District 3 Engineering Manager and GARVEE
Manager Amy Schroeder.
“Improvements not only enhance safety and mobility through this
heavily traveled Treasure Valley interstate corridor, but also future
growth and transportation needs in southwest Idaho.”
Work began in April 2014, and the interchange opened to traffic late in 2015.
In 1965, approximately 15,000 vehicles traveled over, under, and
on and off the interchange each day. Today, that number has increased
to more than 133,000 vehicles, and is expected to continue to climb.