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Corridor studies outlined at community meetings

Fifty people came to comment about road management and the future of two short routes in Canyon and Owyhee counties Oct. 14, 15 and 21, 22.

Idaho 19, a 20-mile route running from Caldwell to the Oregon border, was the subject of meetings in Caldwell and Homedale. Caldwell and Parma were the venues for public meetings on the 14-mile U.S. 20/26 corridor from I-84 to Nyssa, Ore. and the Snake River (excluding the eight-mile overlap of U.S. 95 from east of Parma to Anderson Corner).

County commissioners, mayors, a state senator and a school district superintendent attended the forums, commenting about the current state of the routes and trouble spots, identifying corridor priorities, suggesting fixes and discussing the future of the highway.

The study and subsequent adopted plan will be used to chart future Idaho 19 and U.S. 20/26 improvements. Corridor study attendees were afforded the opportunity to make written or verbal comments at the meetings, and also were given the choice to take a comment sheet home and submit it later or do so via ITD’s public involvement email at comments@itd.idaho.gov.

The corridor studies will result in 10-year plans. Future travel demands and safe and efficient travel within the corridors were primary concerns.

Photo: Citizens learn of planning efforts in the U.S. 220/26 corridor in Parma recently.