Western Route Express Way Project

What is it?  The Western Route Express Way is a future route through the southern and western portions of the Treasure Valley to provide traffic an easy and efficient way to get through and out of the valley without first having to travel north through congested urban streets to get to I-84. 

Where will it be located?  The route will run through the jurisdictional areas of Canyon Highway District No. 4, Notus-Parma Highway District No. 2, Nampa Highway District No. 1, and Ada County Highway District.

So far, only Nampa Highway District has determined a preferred alignment (see map).  Canyon Highway District is in the process of selecting its preferred alignment.  It is assumed the west end will eventually connect to I-84 or US-95 somewhere west or north of Caldwell, and the east end to I-84 somewhere southeast of Boise.

When will it be built?  The route is currently in the long term planning stage.   The first task is to determine route location, then preserve it for future development by means of building setbacks and access control.  Except for the Bowmont, Lynnwood to SH-45 project (discussed below), there are no immediate plans for construction.

Most of the route will likely be on existing roadways.  Over time, different improvements can be systematically made to the different road segments to allow them to function more as an overall express way.  Such improvements may include reconfiguring intersections to allow free flow, widening shoulders, straightening curves, removing sight obstructions, and building new sections of road to fill in gaps in the route. 

As property along the route develops and changes use, the developers may be required to make improvements such as eliminate or reconfigure drive ways, or build turn bays, turn lanes, or better drainage facilities.

Bowmont, Lynnwood to SH-45.  This is federally funded project to improve that portion of the Western Route Express Way consisting of Bowmont Road between Lynnwood and SH-45 (see map).  The principal aim is to fix the existing “dog leg” intersection at SH-45, and straighten the portion between La Pine and SH-45 to run along the section line. 

The project is just beginning the “preliminary design” phase, with no construction date set yet.  This type of project typically takes three to five years to design, obtain environmental clearance and purchase right-of-way, so construction is anticipated around 2015 to 2017. 

For a map of Nampa Highway District No.1's portion of the Western Route click here