New Idaho Highway set to Open

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new stretch of highway in southwestern Idaho will be open to the public next month.

The 2.5-mile extension on Idaho Highway 16 is the state's first step toward creating a four-lane expressway from Emmett to Interstate 84. The work comes with a price tag of $111 million, including design, engineering, land acquisition and construction.

The work was financed with GARVEE bonds, which allowed the state to borrow money for road projects and repay it with future federal highway payments. The Idaho Statesman reports that the new stretch of highway will open to the public on the afternoon of Aug. 15.