Road construction is a reality of a growing city, and there seems to be a lot of it in Boise. Idaho Statesman reporter Nick Rosenberger receives frustrated emails from commuters all the time, and he joined the City Cast Boise podcast recently to talk about who’s to blame for the mayhem, and why some of our ire might be misguided.
Who’s Responsible?
Despite what the Reddit threads may imply, no single entity is to blame for the orange tape occupying downtown Boise. The problem is that so many different types of projects are happening at the same time, and need to happen right away.
Everyone kind of uses ACHD as the proverbial punching bag, the scapegoat, everyone blames them. But you can’t just point out one agency and say ‘hey, it’s your fault.’
Nick Rosenberger, Reporter, Idaho Statesman
While the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) is responsible for many major road closures, both the City of Boise and the Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) also have their shovels in many potholes.
The groups that don’t often get credited for the construction that spills onto roadways, Rosenberger said, are private companies working on projects that require connections to utilities. These might be shorter term projects, but there are more of them, which is partially why it feels like there’s construction on every block.
Major Downtown Projects
During the summer months, construction is at its peak — and it’s probably not slowing down any time soon. Here are a few of the largest projects currently underway:
- Hotel Renegade + Broadstone Saratoga Apartments (Grove Street)
- Arthur Apartments (Idaho Street)
- St. Luke’s (Jefferson Street) Ambulance Bay
- Grove Street Public Space (Grove Street and 5th Street)
- Much of State Street
