The Idaho Transportation Department will open four lanes of Chinden Boulevard from Locust Grove to Eagle Road to traffic this Friday, marking a major milestone in the ChindenWest Corridor project.
The widening of this section of Chinden from two lanes to four began this spring. This is the second segment of the ChindenWest project to finish this year. Idaho 16 to Linder Road was completed in September. Linder Road to Locust Grove will wrap up in 2021.
“With work in the corridor nearly complete, we appreciate the patience of the traveling public and nearby residents throughout construction,” said Daris Bruce, ITD District 3 Resident Engineer.
The new roadway includes four 12-foot travel lanes, two in each direction, and a detached 10-foot pathway to the south for bicyclists and pedestrians. Click here for a detailed rendering of the new design.
The ChindenWest corridor is a heavily-commuted section of U.S. 20/26 connecting I-84 and Eagle Road (ID-55). Widening to four lanes is the first of three phases for the corridor’s 2040 vision. Phase 2 will widen the highway to six lanes. Phase 3 will construct high-capacity intersections at key locations. No funding has been identified for those future phases at this time.
The project website, ITDprojects.org/ChindenWest, serves as a hub of information for the public, including videos that provide a window into the future. The one-stop-shop website includes detailed information about construction activities, anticipated traffic impacts, and the improvement designs.