ITD provides public with low-down on projects

fourth phase of the project before we started phase three,” explained Cambridge City Clerk Sandra McKee. “We just approved the design of phase 3. We will go out to bid when that funding becomes available, probably, next fall.”

 The project has been ongoing since 2017 and was originally designed as one project through a $500,000 grant under ITD’s Transportation Alternatives Program, but was ultimately split into four phases due to price increases.

 “The fourth (or third) phase is going to include the other side of 95, west of city hall, from Hopper to Washington. It’s also going to include going from the three-way intersection, east, and around to the fairgrounds. When it’s all finished, we will have sidewalks on both sides of 95.”

Weiser Airport:

 Most people are not aware, but ITD has an aeronautics division.

 An environmental assessment connected with removal of trees at Weiser’s airport is scheduled for 2025 that will cost $75,000, with a $7,000 match. The plan does not indicate when the project will commence.

 Taxiway rehabilitation preliminary engineering begins in 2026 at a cost of $177,000, with a $18,000 match. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 at an approximate $1 million cost and $104,000 match.

Other projects:

 Kreizenbeck added that other projects outside Washington County, but affecting Weiser residents and beyond, are on the horizon. Specifically, he spoke of the U.S. 95 Fruitland to Payette reconstruction/realignment project.

 “I know we all talk about Highway 95 between Payette and Fruitland, which is, hopefully, up for rebuild next year,” he said. “It’s scheduled for 2026 and I know they are shooting to start sometime after July 2025, so we can keep our fingers crossed.”

 The project will reconstruct the pavement to completely rebuild the road base, improve drainage and extend the life of the pavement section. 

 It comes with an approximate $7.4 million cost, with a $545,000, according to the plan.

 Down the road, in 2031, is a seal coat project extending from Payette to north of Weiser, at a projected cost of approximately $1.2 million.

Public questions:

 During the luncheon, Weiser Chamber of Commerce Director Colleen Hall asked whether there are any plans to widen U.S. 95 between Payette and Weiser. In response, Kreizenbeck said that although his agency is looking into it, other alternatives are being considered for now.

 “We have started doing some investigation in the area and have identified areas where we could put longer passing lanes, instead of those little 400-foot pullout lanes; we are thinking a half mile, a bit longer passing lanes through there. We looked at that last year,” he said, adding that potential solutions would come with impacts to local residents along the U.S. 95 corridor. 

 “There is going to be potential for significant impacts and right-of-way purchase, so it would involve some residences, probably, losing access to the highway and either creating a frontage road or really long driveway for them to the local road.

“We have started some preliminary investigation, and we’ll keep working along that avenue, but, unfortunately, a time frame … I have no idea.”

Project priority:

 During his talk, Kreizenbeck was asked how the ITD prioritizes its projects. He responded by saying that the agency, planning seven years out, must prioritize projects according to pavement condition, injuries and congestion, but indicated that funding is a multiplexer.

 “The investment program … those are projects that have been identified and [that] we can either get funding for or we believe we can get the funding or have funding for already,” he explained. “So, seven years out, some of these projects have been planned for quite a while. Major highway projects can take 10, 20 years to come to fruition. It’s a timely process, with a lot involved, from planning and scoping and designing to environmental and public comment.”

Main St./Highway 95 stoplight:

 One project that has appeared on previous ITIP plans is a new traffic light on Highway 95 at Main St. where it can be difficult to turn onto the highway during peak hours. 

 It is a good example of what can happen as project priorities change. 

 The 2022 ITIP plan showed a new stoplight scheduled for 2029, which followed some earlier delays.

 “We have a stoplight that we were promised back in 2013, that we would receive funding for, and it’s still not in place,” former Weiser Mayor Diana Thomas commented during the luncheon. “What kind of power … or does anybody locally have any way of making sure their project will stay on the calendar, or is it all dependent on growth and when other needs pop up?” 

Kreizenbeck said the most recent delay was due to budget constraints.

 “I can tell you that this signal got moved back this year because we were $260 million short,” he said.

 Thomas replied, “See, if you got it done back in 2013 when you were supposed to, it would have been a lot cheaper,” which garnered a few chuckles from the audience.

 “Yes, I know; you are absolutely correct,” Kreizenbeck said in response.

 Weiser City Clerk Natasha McDaniel asked if the seven-year plan was only a “suggestion,” which garnered a few more chuckles.

 “It’s a process that can change,” Kreizenbeck said. “Projects that we have identified, we either have the funding or we have identified the funding for it and they start the design, but sometimes … we have to shift money out to cover the projects that are already underway. We had several projects that were removed from the seven-year plan because we couldn’t identify funding. So, it’s unfortunate that it (the stoplight project) was moved back again, but it is fortunate that it is still in there.”

 The draft plan shows engineering and planning in 2028, right-of-way acquisition in 2030 and construction in 2031, at a cost of $783,000 and a $57,000 match, according to the plan.

 Some expressed apprehension over the location of the new Maverik station currently under construction. Located south of the bridge, on the west side of Highway 95, many say traffic going into and out of the fueling station/convenience store, including semi-trucks, will be a chaotic situation rife with safety concerns.

 Some said a proposed RV Park, tentatively planned for development across the highway, only adds to those concerns.

 “Most people thought it was a very stupid idea,” one resident said. “Do you not have any say, when they start doing a project like that?”

Kreizenbeck essentially said “No.”

 “Your land use agency has the authority to say where something goes,” he replied. “So, Maverik, they apply to the city and county, saying they want to put a Maverik here. Those agencies say, ‘Great, you’ll need to contact the ITD if you want access on the highway,’ and then it can be whatever is required by us or the county or the city based on an impact study. 

 “The traffic impact study takes crashes, average daily vehicle counts, all those points of data and an engineer gets paid to interpret it, and then we say, ‘Hey, we need this mitigation on the highway.’ So, that would be a turn lane or median or a stoplight. We can’t say that Maverik can’t go there. We can only take control of what happens on the highway.”

 Mitigation on the highway for the project includes a sidewalk from the bridge to the edge of Maverik property, a right turn lane, a center turn lane and extra drainage, Kreizenbeck told the Signal American on Thursday.

 At least one attendee at last week’s luncheon gave ITD credit for what it accomplishes in regard to snowplowing.

 “I’m the one person in the room that actually really loves the road in winter,” said Weiser resident Shanie McClaren. “I am amazed at how quickly the roads are cleared. So, I’ll be the one person who is actually pretty impressed with the work you do.”

 For more information on Washington County road projects, visit https://itd.idaho.gov/funding/?target=draft-itip.

 Kreizenbeck said that the public is more than welcome to call him at his office with any questions or concerns at (208) 334-8318.