3/20/2007
Left turns restricted into HP main entrance during Chinden construction
BOISE - Left turns into the Hewlett-Packard (HP) main entrance will be eliminated beginning Thursday evening (March 22), as crews begin work to widen Chinden Boulevard, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Motorists can access HP from either the Five Mile or Cloverdale entrances. Traffic exiting the HP campus from the main entrance can continue to turn left or right onto Chinden, and eastbound traffic will have right turn access into the HP main entrance. Signs will alert motorists of the restriction.
Beginning Friday morning, traffic on Chinden Boulevard between HP and Cloverdale Road will shift to the north side of Chinden. The traffic shift will allow crews to construct new lanes on the south side of Chinden as part of the widening project.
One lane of through traffic will be maintained in each direction during daytime hours. Periodic nighttime lane closures can be expected between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained.
Joplin Road is closed from its western intersection with Chinden (near Cloverdale Road) to Ancell Lane. Motorists can access Joplin at its eastern intersection with Chinden (near Mountain View Drive). Following completion of drainage work and pipe installation, the City of Boise will install underground sewer lines in the same area. Following this work, the Ada County Highway District will resurface Joplin Road.
The project will add bicycle lanes to both sides of the roadway. Curb, gutter and sidewalk will be installed along the south side of the road. With the project's completion, pedestrian and bicycle facilities will extend from Eagle Road to the Joplin Road/Mountain View Drive intersection.
In addition, a new half-mile-long frontage road will provide access to homes on the north side of Chinden between Joplin and HP. As a result, the Chinden/Joplin intersection will be reconfigured.
To expedite the project, crews will work an aggressive schedule, including some night and weekend hours. Central Paving, Inc. of Boise is the contractor on this $5.5 million project. Work is expected to be complete in late 2007. This is the third and final phase of a project to widen Chinden from Eagle Road to Garden City.