BOISE BENCH, Idaho — The Boise Bench neighborhood will soon see significant roadway improvements after the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) secured an $18.4 million federal grant.
The funding, which is the largest grant ACHD has ever received, will support the "Build the Boise Bench" project focusing on infrastructure improvements around schools and parks in the area.
"I know our application team has been working on this grant for roughly over a year," said Stihles Clark, ACHD's Senior Project Manager.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will target areas along the Boise Bench that currently lack certain infrastructure.
WATCH: See what changes will be made to four roadway segments along the Boise Bench
One of the four areas slated for development is the intersection of Franklin Road and Allumbaugh Street on the Boise Bench.
"This segment on Franklin road, there's a couple schools and a couple parks," Clark said. "Kinda hard to see, but there are walking trails currently that people are using, so just trying to increase safety on this segment."
For other areas, like Allumbaugh Street, residents can expect to see a full reconstruction of the roadway.
"Involves redoing the roadway, installing curb gutters, sidewalks, and green stormwater infrastructure," Clark said.
The reconstruction effort comes with several challenges that the highway district will need to navigate.
"There's a lot of design constraints with all of these projects," according to Clark. "There's two very large petroleum lines that run underneath the roadway, the railroads I mentioned. Trying to get all these agencies to coordinate for such a quick timeline is going to be a little difficult."
Residents in the Boise Bench neighborhood may experience some disruption during the construction phase.
"With the size of this project, there are going to be construction detours and delays. Hopefully, we get in and get out is the plan," Clark said.
Before construction begins, ACHD plans to engage with the community for additional input.
"We are planning to take these projects back out to the public in 2026 for an additional round of feedback," Clark said.
ACHD is currently in the design process, with most of the construction expected to take place in 2028 and 2029.
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