7/20/2016
Safety work at Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard and Karcher Road intersection, funded wirth general fund surplus, begins soon in Nampa
BOISE--Work to address safety concerns along Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard in Nampa, funded through general fund surplus, will begin in early August.
The Idaho Transportation Department and the city of Nampa have identified the section of Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard between Midland Boulevard and Idaho 55 (Karcher Road) as a high-crash, high-congestion location with approximately 40,000 vehicles traveling through this area daily. To improve safety, crews will make several modifications to the roadway beginning in August. The scheduled completion is mid-October.
Modifications will occur at the intersection of Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard and Karcher Road, including additional pavement markings and improving signal timing to optimize the intersection.
The free-running right turn from Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard onto Karcher/Midland will be removed to reduce conflicts with merging through traffic traveling from Karcher Road to the interstate. Motorists approaching the intersection turning right toward Interstate 84 will now be required to stop at the signal before proceeding.
Crews will also construct a raised median on the boulevard between Karcher and the intersection/entrance to Lowe’s and the Karcher Mall. Additionally, they will modify the signal to include a U-turn, to provide access to businesses across from Karcher Mall. New striping and signage will also be added at this location.
Construction will occur between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. During those hours, lane restrictions will be in place. Motorists are encouraged to slow down in the work zone. A truck route will be in place during construction with posted signs indicating the detour around the construction zone.
Knife River Corp. is the general contractor. The project cost is $1.2 million.
In December 2015, the Idaho Transportation Board selected road and bridge projects for maintenance and repair work as part of the Idaho Transportation Department’s Strategic Initiatives Program authorized by the Idaho Legislature. Selections came from a pool of projects based on analysis of each project’s return on investment in the areas of safety, mobility, economic opportunity, bridge repair and maintenance, and right-of-way purchases.