NAMPA, Idaho — Amazon crews are planning to move forward on a project to convert the roundabout at Franklin and Star Roads into a signalized intersection near the end of March, according to the Idaho Press.
City Engineer Daniel Badger told the Nampa City Council during its Monday meeting that Amazon planned to close a portion of each road near the intersection for about three days starting March 21 through March 23, although those dates are not set in stone. Work on the intersection is expected to continue through early July, he said.
Amazon is building a 650,000-square-foot fulfillment center in northeast Nampa, which is expected to open in the fall. A traffic impact study completed in 2018 identified more than 40 projects necessary in the area through 2030, including converting the roundabout into a signalized intersection.
During the closure in late March, Badger said crews will work on removing the north half of the roundabout and install a temporary signal to allow traffic to move through the intersection while the rest of the work continues.
“There will be some fairly significant detours in that area,” Badger said.
The roundabout sits on the northeast corner of the Amazon site, and is expected to see a major increase in traffic after the fulfillment center opens. The traffic study predicted the center would generate nearly 7,000 vehicle trips per day during Amazon’s peak season.
The center also borders Lactalis American Group’s food production facility. Badger said city and Amazon officials are communicating with Lactalis to organize its transportation needs through the construction.
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