ITD holding open house on I-15 planning project between Northgate and Blackfoot
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is hosting an open house from June 6 - 13 to share information and gather public input about designs to widen I-15 between the Northgate Parkway Interchange (Exit 73) and Blackfoot.
“Most of I-15 was constructed in the 1960s and 1970s and it is aging and nearing capacity in some areas,” ITD District 5 Engineering Manager Eric Staats said. “We are excited to be moving forward with a planning and design process to improve safety and capacity on I-15 between Pocatello and Blackfoot.”
The I-15 Northgate to Blackfoot Project is part of a multi-year planning process to improve I-15 between Pocatello and Idaho Falls.
“This project between the Northgate Interchange and Blackfoot will provide environmental clearance and develop widening options for future projects,” Staats said. “We would like the public’s input on the widening options that are being developed.”
The public is invited to stop by the open house any time between 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel, Chief Targhee Room (777 Bannock Road) in Fort Hall. ITD will be on hand to discuss the project and proposed widening improvement options.
The same information will also be available online between June 6 – 13. Participants can review materials online and submit comments.
Elements of this project are being funded with Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds as part of the Leading Idaho TECM Program. To address the state’s rapid growth, the legislature passed a historic transportation revenue package that Governor Little signed as part of his Leading Idaho initiative in May 2021. House Bill 362 raised the percentage of sales tax going towards transportation from 1% to 4.5%, with bonding authority granted to ITD to invest in safety and capacity needs across the state. The program allows ITD to accelerate project timelines to address rapid growth and build critical infrastructure today that would otherwise take many years to fund and build.
For more information, visit the project website.
