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Construction to start on Eagle Road off-ramp

Work to ease rush-hour congestion will last till end of year; officials say project is a temporary fix Hilary Costa Staff Hilary Costa

Staff

Eric Schrader calls the westbound off-ramp at Interstate 84 and Eagle Road "just misery."

The Meridian resident uses it every evening when he comes home from work in Boise and has developed his own strategy for dealing with the traffic. "I tend to drive in the second lane, and then I go all the way to the end and try to sneak in, so it's not so bad for me," Schrader said. "But the people who sit there for two or three miles back, I feel sorry for them."

The vehicle-clogged mess that is the Eagle Road westbound off-ramp at rush hour will be doubled in width, but that's only a superficial fix for the much longer-range issue of Treasure Valley traffic, officials say. The Idaho Transportation Department will begin construction Thursday night on the $2.5 million project to double capacity on the off-ramp. Work is set to last through late this year. The one-lane off-ramp splits into northbound and southbound lanes as it approaches Eagle Road, and often backs up well onto I-84 as commuters head home in the evening. Many drivers heading northbound use the shoulder as an ad-hoc lane to pass southbound cars that stack up waiting for a left-turn signal, creating a hazardous situation. "I don't use it, just because of the problems that there are there," said Meridian resident Melissa Mezo. "The traffic is backed up on the freeway, and it can be pretty unsafe."

The new off-ramp will be two lanes that will split into four lanes -- two for northbound traffic and two for southbound. ITD also will add a traffic signal to control the right-turn lanes of northbound traffic. The ramp also will be lengthened by 1,600 feet to prevent traffic from backing up far onto the interstate.

During construction, the off-ramp will remain open at all times, according to an ITD press release. Crews will work at night to try to speed it up, but drivers should budget in some extra drive time or consider an alternate route. The off-ramp expansion is part of ITD's Eagle Road Improvement Project, which also will add median strips and new traffic lights on Eagle Road north of the interstate.

The off-ramp is the Treasure Valley's first project to be funded through Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) bonds. "I'm anxiously optimistic about it getting better," Schrader said. A new corridor While this project will alleviate some highly visible back-ups, ITD officials say that the Treasure Valley's continued growth will require a much larger solution -- namely, a new high-volume north-south road. "The improvements being made to the Eagle Road corridor are addressing short-term issues that need to be addressed," said Mollie McCarty, ITD spokeswoman. "In terms of resolving the tremendous congestion on Eagle Road ... the solution for that is a new corridor." Eagle Road carries about 50,000 vehicles a day, according to McCarty, and that number will only rise with expected growth.

Population forecasts by Community Planning Association of Southwestern Idaho put Meridian's population in excess of 100,000 people by 2030, and some officials have said that's a low estimate. McCarty said ITD wants to see an expansion of Idaho 16 from Idaho 44 to I-84. It would serve to move high volumes of traffic through the region and take some of the pressure off arterials such as Eagle and Meridian roads. ITD is studying the feasibility of such a plan, but funding isn't available. The option of widening Eagle Road is simply off the table, McCarty said, because of the amount of development already in existence. The best option would be to start from scratch, she said. "These are significant issues that, I think, you're going to hear more and more about," McCarty said. "And I think that's largely because the public is going to demand it." Contact reporter Hilary Costa at 672-6730 or e-mail hcosta@ idahostatesman.com.

Off-ramp expansion Construction to widen the westbound I-84 off-ramp at Eagle Road will begin Thursday and last until late this year. The off-ramp will remain open, but drivers should budget in extra time or consider taking an alternate route, said Idaho Transportation Department officials. Here are some things to watch for as construction progresses: Æ The shoulder of westbound I-84 will be closed to exiting vehicles at times. Æ During the final phase, westbound I-84 will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes. Æ Construction updates will be available by calling 511 on your mobile phone or by logging on to 511.idaho.gov.



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