The Idaho Transportation Board unanimously approved an additional $65 million in Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle bonds to fund projects on US-95 in northern Idaho. The decision came late Thursday afternoon (August 17) at the board’s monthly meeting in Coeur d ‘Alene.

The projects are on Highway 95 from Garwood to Sagle. They would include $41 million to build a new interchange at Highway 53 and frontage roads to Garwood Road. The project also removes two at-grade signals and completes improvements from the original highway corridor study.

In addition, the board approved a $23 million project to realign and widen an additional two miles of US-95 to four lanes to the top of Granite Hill, including frontage roads and a grade separation to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.

In addition to funding more GARVEE projects, the board passed a motion directing the Idaho Transportation Department to begin an environmental document to expand Interstate 84 from Karcher Road to Franklin Road in Caldwell, which is estimated to cost approximately $1 million.

In April, the board approved $150 million in GARVEE bonds to widen I-84 from Franklin Blvd. in Nampa to the Karcher Road Interchange. Once complete, the corridor study would pave the way for the state to find funding to continue the I-84 expansion.

With the approval to construct these projects, the transportation board has committed $215 million of the $300 million authorized by the 2017 Idaho Legislature in Senate Bill 1206.