SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — Road closures and detours due to ongoing construction projects in Southwest Ada County are causing frustration among residents.
- ACHD hosted an open house and fielded questions on construction projects in Southwest Ada County construction.
- For more information on current and upcoming projects in your area, you can visit this map.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
In Southwest Ada County, Orange Is the New Black—Orange Cones, That Is
Just ask South Boise resident Melville Smith.
"Oh yeah, everyone in my house is frustrated with it. They closed Maple Grove and Lake Hazel… There's work down 5 Mile… And then they're gonna close Lake Hazel and Eagle too… So that'll be 3 road closures along Lake Hazel," says South Boise resident, Melville Smith.
Smith says he has to drive through 2 extra neighborhoods now just to get to work—taking detour routes on local roads with extra stop signs and speed bumps, adding 8 minutes on each end of his daily commute.
"And if it's during rush hour it's just backed up gridlock through all these neighborhoods. I feel bad for the people that live there. I gotta zigzag to get to my house there's no other way to do it," says Smith.
The construction is ACHD's response to the area's rapid growth in recent years.
Southwest Ada County Alliance President Marisa Keith says roads have been a major challenge for the area's expansion.
"Our roads that are mostly these 2-lane farm-to-market roads and while there are plans to widen those in the future that's going to be over the course of 20 years," says Marisa Keith, Southwest Ada County Alliance President.
And for other residents, the growth has left them generally frustrated.
"We don't have the roads… With the apartments going up everywhere…" says South Boise resident Jason Hawks.
But Smith says when the work is done, it will all be worth it.
"It sucks that they built all of these houses and now are adding the infrastructure. They should've added that infrastructure before the houses went up but in 2 or 3 years it's gonna be awesome," says Smith.
