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Federal grant to help widen I-84 in Canyon County

Posted at 4:00 PM, Jun 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-07 18:14:14-04

Interstate 84 in Nampa will be widened to three lanes in both directions thanks in part to a $90 million federal grant. 

Idaho's congressional delegation pressed for federal assistance for the project under the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program. 

"It was highly competitive," Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said. "I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was something like $1 billion of grants nationwide and $15 billion worth of applications."

Crapo spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to confirm the grant award Tuesday.

“Having driven this stretch of highway many times, I agree that growth and safety concerns make widening Interstate 84 through southwest Idaho a critical concern—something many Idahoans experience every single day,” Crapo said. “This project goes a long way toward increasing our regional and global competitive advantages. We hope it will be completed in two to three years.”

Comprehensive project planning between the Idaho Transportation Department, COMPASS and city and county leaders was likely a deciding factor in securing the grant. 

"They saw the success that has already been achieved by Idaho and the community in this part of Idaho, and they saw the strong political support," Crapo said. "I believe that proving a solid plan is in place and proving that there is solid political support helped this grant to be successful." 

The funding will be utilized widen I-84 to three lanes in both directions between Franklin Road and the Karcher Road underpass. The interchanges will also be improved.

Since $90 million won't cover the entire cost of the project, state and local leaders are on the hook for funding the rest of the $150 million expansion. 

"There's still a long way to go to get this project all the way finished and built out, but I think we're starting at a good point," Idaho Transportation Dept. Public Information Specialist Bill Kowtowski said.