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What is the Highway 16 Extension?
The existing State Highway 16 currently only extends from Emmett to State Highway 44 (State St.). The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has plans to extend SH-16 all the way to Interstate-84, but lacks the funding to see the project through to completion. That is why this Coalition was formed.
- The 21.5 mile SH-16 corridor that will exist from Emmett to I-84 has been identified as the Central Valley Expressway (CVE)
- Two Environmental Impact Statements have been completed covering the entire CVE. The southern 6.5 mile extension from SH-44 to I-84 was completed in 2011 and the segment north of SH-44 was completed in 2006
- The design for the CVE includes four lanes, grade-separated interchanges and full access control
- Total project cost is $700M.
- Approximately $140M has been funded by the State of Idaho. The cost to complete the CVE is $560M, as estimated in 2006.
The Central Valley Expressway will create an “Employment Super Corridor”
- The CVE will connect seven cities to I-84 – Caldwell, Eagle, Emmett, Meridian, Middleton, Nampa and Star. Four of these cities currently have limited Interstate access.
- The CVE will connect three counties to I-84 – Ada, Canyon and Gem Counties and two state highways – SH-44 and US 20/26 - the largest growth corridor around an existing highway in the Treasure Valley
- The CVE will alleviate congestion on SH-44 (State Street), SH-55 (Eagle Road), US 20/26 (Chinden Boulevard) and I-84; helping the Treasure Valley meet its Federal air quality standards and avoid Non-Attainment Status
- Dr. John Church, an economist with Idaho Economics, estimates that the CVE will create over $1.9B of new revenue to the state of Idaho over a 30 year period; 16,800 construction jobs, and 18,524 permanent jobs