Busy section of Idaho 16 between Meridian, Star to be closed Sunday
A 2.5-mile segment of Idaho 16 will be closed to all travel on Sunday.
In a news release Thursday, the Idaho Transportation Department said the highway just west of Meridian would be closed both directions from State Street (Idaho 44) to Chinden Boulevard starting at 9 a.m. Sunday.
That section opened in 2014 as part of a long-touted vision to turn the once-sleepy Idaho 16 in Emmett to a freeway extending south all the way to Interstate 84. Now, ITD is working to build an interchange at Idaho 16 and Chinden and to continue extending the highway south.
ITD’s release stated that “failing asphalt ... has created a bulge in the roadway” and that crews would work to remove the asphalt and ultimately create a “smoother surface for motorists.”
Sophia Miraglio, a public information officer for ITD, did not immediately respond to a voicemail from the Idaho Statesman regarding the cause of the asphalt’s problems.
Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes during the closure, which should be lifted at 6 p.m., according to the release.
