The Idaho Transportation Board approved a plan during its monthly meeting Thursday that will issue bonds to projects statewide that focus on major safety and expansion over the next eight years.
In the next few months, the first series of bonds will be issued to expand Idaho State Highway 16 and US-20/26 (Chinden Boulevard).
The board has yet to announce which other projects could be approved in the first bond series.
“This is another important step forward in the Governor’s (Brad Little) funding initiative that will chip away at some needs in corridors across the state,” Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Bill Moad said. “The transportation board wants the department to continuously advance additional work for any future state or federal funding opportunities. Our goal is to put all funding sources to work as quickly as possible.”
Little’s $1.6 billion Leading Idaho initiative passed in House Bill 362 in 2021.
To address the state’s rapid growth, the legislation raised the percentage of sales tax going toward the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation fund from 1 percent to 4.5 percent.
The transportation revenue package guarantees $80 million annually to address capacity needs on the highway system and safety.
Little signed the bill into law in May.