STAR—The Idaho Transportation Department invites the public to attend two upcoming open houses to learn about findings and recommended improvements for the State Highway 44 corridor between Interstate 84 and Star Road.
SH-44 is a key east-west route through Middleton and Star. With continued population growth, traffic volumes and congestion have increased and reinforced the need for a modernized SH-44. This project proposes alternatives to realign SH-44.
These open houses will give the public an opportunity to review the results of the alternatives evaluation and see which proposed recommendations advance into preliminary design and environmental review.
Open house details:
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Middleton Middle School, 511 W Main Street, Middleton
4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. (drop in anytime)
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Star Fire Protection District, 11665 W State Street, Ste. B, Star
4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. (drop in anytime)
The same materials will be available online from Aug. 26 through Sept. 10 at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/sh44pel.
“We’ve spent the past two years working with agency partners and local communities to identify practical solutions for this growing corridor,” ITD Project Manager Mark Wasdahl said. “This is the public’s chance to see the alternatives we evaluated and what we’re recommending to move forward.”
This study followed the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) process to identify and screen potential transportation improvements. The PEL process is a collaborative approach to decision-making for transportation projects. Used to gather data and input from the community and stakeholders, PEL helps to understand a project’s needs and goals and identify solutions before moving into the detailed analyses required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The project team previously held three rounds of open houses in January, April, and September 2024 to gather feedback from the public.
Construction for this project has not yet been funded.
For more information or assistance, contact the project team at info@idaho44corridor.com or visit the project website at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/sh44pel.