ITD presents Highway 69 corridor study proposing seven-lane section, raised medians and multiuse paths

Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) staff and consultants presented a traffic study of State Highway 69 to the Kuna City Council, projecting large traffic increases and outlining a corridor ‘vision’ that would widen the busiest segment to seven lanes, add an 18‑foot raised median, and install buffered 10‑foot multiuse paths.

The study, presented by Mark Wazdahl of ITD District 3 and Megan Romanescu of DKS Associates, found existing north‑end volumes of about 37,000 vehicles per day and projected that those volumes could reach about 77,000 vehicles per day by 2050. Romanescu said, “the existing traffic is about 37,000 vehicles per day. And by 2050, those numbers are expected to more than double and be around 77,000 vehicles per day.” The consultants said those projected north‑end volumes would exceed current traffic on Eagle Road.

The presentation summarized safety history and proposed cross sections. The study team reported 579 crashes on the corridor from 2019–2023, including five fatalities; three of the fatalities involved a drug‑ or alcohol‑impaired driver. The majority of crashes were concentrated at intersections, the team said, and 47% of crashes on the…