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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


Tuesday ceremony to launch Karcher project

Nampa city officials, commuters and business community will welcome the start of a highway construction project intended to benefit the western Treasure Valley.

A groundbreaking ceremony the Karcher Interchange project and an open house to learn more about it will take place Tuesday (Aug. 2) and Wednesday (Aug. 3).

The official project launch will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the northwest corner of the intersection of Karcher Road and Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard.

Speakers will be:

  • Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Charles L. Winder
  • Nampa Mayor Tom Dale
  • Russell Keithly, developer of the Nampa Business Center near the Karcher interchange

In addition, special guest Ken Karcher, grandson of the couple who first homesteaded the site of the Karcher Mall and Karcher Ranch Market, will attend with other family members.

The open house is Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Nampa Civic Center lobby, 311 S. 3rd St. South in Nampa. Representatives from ITD, the city of Nampa and the contractor will be available to discuss the project and answer questions.

Both the ceremony and the open house are open to the public.

Work on the project is expected to begin Wednesday with the demolition of buildings and clearing the site. The interchange is expected to be open for traffic by winter 2006.

The project includes several major features:

  • A five-lane overpass carrying Idaho 55 traffic
  • Five bridges – three over Indian Creek, one over the Union Pacific railroad tracks and one over Interstate 84.
  • A new five-lane roadway extending from the interchange to Karcher Road/Idaho 55 past Edwards Cinemas
  • A two-lane roadway called the Karcher Connector linking Karcher Road with the overpass at a junction with Midland Road
  • Bike lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalks

Traffic impacts early in the project are expected to be minor, however there will be significant construction truck traffic on Idaho 55, Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard and Interstate 84.

Traffic impacts will be more significant next spring when resurfacing of the intersection of Karcher Road and Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard is expected to begin.

Central Paving Co. of Boise is the contractor on this $30 million project.