The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) started construction on State Highway 55 today. The goal is to increase safety and capacity and improve the flow of traffic.
The project will widen the highway to four lanes and add wider shoulders, a raised median will be installed, a 10-foot bicycle and pedestrian path will be added on both sides of the road and a paved frontage road will be added on the north side of the highway.
The ITD also plans to increase the safety signage in the spring on seven miles of State Highway 55, from Interstate 84 to State Highway 44. This is part of a safety corridor pilot project aimed at reducing crashes by enhancing driver awareness.
In 2023, the ITP initially partnered with the Idaho State Police and local cities to form the State Highway-55 Safety Task Force to consider a range of safety enhancement options for the roadway, according to a statement from the transportation department.
Based on that task force’s findings, the agency will install variable speed limit signs and driver speed feedback signs on SH-55/Eagle Road, to provide better information to motorists regarding traffic conditions.
Source: AASHTO, KBOI
