BOISE BENCH, Idaho — Construction is underway on South Vista Avenue to improve the bridge over the New York Canal, causing extended lane closures for drivers heading to the airport.
WATCH | South Vista Avenue bridge construction causes lane closures—
The Ada County Highway District's bridge improvement project includes deck maintenance. Currently, only one lane is open in each direction, causing backups during peak rush hours.
"So by doing this, we can get in here early, do our minor repairs, and extend the life of the bridge in hopes that we don't have to replace the bridge earlier," Mathew Christensen, with ACHD, said.
Once complete, the bridge over the New York Canal will no longer have an island. Instead, there will be a median curb down the center. The project is expected to be completed in August.
ACHD advises drivers to plan ahead and keep an eye out for crews.
“Just slow down, be aware that it might be set up this way today, but tomorrow we could have it set up a different way to reach our end goal of doing work across the whole bridge, not just the center lanes," Christensen said.
Many Boise Bench neighbors drive the route every day near where Vista Avenue meets the interstate.
"Every morning, I have to stop for a second before I'm like, oh yeah, here it is again, cause I forget, slowing down for a second, caught me off guard," neighbor Felicia Pacheco said.
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Pacheco said the construction has not caused issues for her yet, but she has noticed more traffic when heading to the airport. Despite the lane closures, she is glad to see the county making improvements in her neighborhood.
"I think Boise gets a little bit behind. I love Boise, don't get me wrong. Our roads, they need some help. And so I'm excited. So whatever improvements they can make, I'm all for it," Pacheco said.
"I'm glad that we're updating some things and gonna make it a little bit easier for everybody on the road because I think we're all a little frustrated with how much congestion there is everywhere," Ryan Bartosz, another neighbor said.
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