Construction began August 11, 2025!
Initial construction tasks include tree removal from the center median and shoulders, placing temporary barriers, installing work zone signs, minor traffic shifts, and starting construction on the Prairie Trail Bridge. As work begins and continues through fall and winter, drivers can expect:
- Work will typically occur Monday through Friday with both daytime and nighttime activity, though some weekend work may occur as well.
- Two lanes of travel being maintained in both directions during daylight hours (lanes may be reduced during nighttime hours as needed).
- Variable speed limits, with digital signs adjusting speeds based on nearby work activity. Drivers should pay extra close attention to the posted speed limits and drive accordingly.
Please note, construction schedules and impacts are subject to change.
Overview
The five miles of Interstate 90 from State Highway 41 to U.S. Highway 95 are the most heavily traveled and congested in the corridor. This is the first construction project to advance from the I-90 Corridor Study from SH-41 to 15th Street to enhance safety and add capacity to support future traffic volumes. Construction started in August 2025 and is scheduled to take four construction seasons to build, ending in 2029.
Under construction
Improvements on I-90 from the SH-41 Interchange to the US-95 Interchange include:
- Add two lanes in both eastbound and westbound directions of I-90 for a total of four lanes in each direction
- Replace and widen bridges over Huetter Road, Atlas Road, and Prairie Trail
- Realign and improve adjacent sections of Prairie Trail and Centennial Trail
- Lengthen existing on- and off-ramps to allow for a safer merging with I-90 mainline traffic.
- All ramps at the Northwest Blvd. Interchange
- Eastbound off-ramp at US-95
- Westbound off-ramp at US-95
Traffic impacts during construction
Once construction begins, travelers can expect a variety of impacts throughout the project area aimed at maintaining traffic flow and ensuring safety. It’s important to understand that schedules and construction impacts may change.
Key changes will include:
- Two-lane traffic maintained in each direction during daytime hours.
- Reduced speed limits and increased fines in work zones for safety.
- Short-term detours on Huetter Road and Atlas Road during bridge construction.
- Ramp closures for up to one week for widening and reconstruction, as needed.
- Reduced shoulder widths throughout the project area.
- Intermittent impacts to the trails including detours and gravel surfaces.
Safety Benefits
Widening the interstate will allow for better flow of traffic, eliminating stop-and-go conditions that could result in rear-end crashes. With more lanes, drivers have room to maneuver through traffic, reducing the need for sudden lane changes.
Ramps will be lengthened and brought up to standard, allowing more time to merge safely. Drivers will also be able to address emergency issues with wider shoulders that put more space between them and high-speed traffic, as well as allow for better response time for emergency services during crashes.
Noise Analysis
Noise walls will not be constructed as part of this project.
The project team completed a comprehensive noise analysis of the corridor from SH-41 to 15th Street and determined that only three sections of the corridor meet the requirements of the ITD Noise Policy for feasibility and reasonability. The Traffic Noise Analysis Report recommends noise barriers in the following sections:
- South of I-90 from 9th Street to E Hazel Avenue
- North of I-90 from 7th Street to 9th Street
- North of I-90 from 9th Street east past Burl Lane, ending at the Avista facility
In the full report, these sections are labeled as Barrier 9c (page 139), Barrier 10b (page 141), and Barrier 10c (page 142). Design and construction of these noise barriers will not occur until a project is funded for these sections of I-90.
The ITD Noise Abatement Policy states that specific conditions must be met before traffic noise abatement is implemented. Noise mitigation must be considered feasible and reasonable. The factors considered when determining if mitigation is feasible include engineering considerations and effectiveness. The factors considered when determining if mitigation is reasonable include noise abatement design goals, cost effectiveness, and desirability. Desirability is determined by the benefitted owners and/or renters of the proposed noise barrier once a design project is funded.
Community involvement
Since 2021, several open houses, surveys, meetings with interested parties, and other public involvement opportunities took place as part of the I-90 Corridor Study. The feedback gathered during those efforts helped shape the final design for this project.
Funding
The I-90 widening between SH-41 and US-95 is funded by Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. The program allows ITD to accelerate project timelines to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure that would otherwise take many years to fund and build.
The widening improvements from SH-41 to US-95 are estimated at approximately $200 million to $210 million*, which includes design, right of way, and construction costs.
Future design and construction phases of this corridor will be determined based on statewide needs and funding availability.
View TECM Funding
*Costs are estimated in 2025 dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two main reasons for the removal. First, we need to create the space necessary to add capacity to the interstate. As the project is being built almost entirely within ITD’s existing right of way (largely inward, within the wide existing median area), we can expand the highway with minimal impact to adjacent property owners. Unfortunately, the tradeoff is the removal of trees that people have grown attached to over the years.
Second, safety is a factor. Trees of this size and proximity to the highway can pose risks to drivers, especially in severe weather if they fall into the roadway. They can also block sunlight from reaching the pavement, creating shady spots where patchy black ice is more likely to form in winter. Finally, any fixed object (tree, sign, light pole, etc.) on the roadside is a potential hazard, so we are intentional in their use and location. Eliminating these “strike hazards” where we can helps reduce those risks for drivers while also saving on the costs of repairing damaged infrastructure.
ITD recognizes the value of preserving a sense of place and this is a factor in decisions made throughout project life cycles. We certainly understand why some may feel strongly about the tree removal, as we also appreciate the natural ambiance of the region. We know this change is difficult, but these steps are necessary to expand the interstate safely and efficiently while limiting impacts to private property.
The project team conducted a traffic noise analysis during the study phase of the project and found three sections that meet the feasibility and reasonability requirements for noise barriers; details under the ‘Traffic Noise Analysis’ header can be found by clicking on this project page. The three sections identified in the corridor are located east of US-95 along I-90 outside of this project area.
Contact the project team
For questions or comments about this project, please contact the project team at info@i90corridor.com or (208) 738-4190.
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Resources
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A detailed report of the noise analysis conducted along the I-90 from Washington to 15th Street as part of a broader corridor study.