Answers to readers’ questions on proposed roundabout

In the March 6 issue of the Mountain Home News an article was published in which readers were informed of a traffic circle update and funding request that had been presented to the County Commissioners by City of Mountain Home employees. The request had to do with traffic flow on American Legion Blvd and a proposed roundabout near the intersection of E 8th N and I-84. American Legion Blvd. is a state highway and owned by the Idaho Transportation Department who currently plans for the proposed updates, but won't budget it until around 2035. Courtney Lewis, Executive Director of Economic Development and Richard Uriquidi, Director of Public Works, had asked the county to fund the project because they would prefer a single lane roundabout to be in place around 2021. The cost of the initial project would be $647,000. The city would want ITD to install an additional lane sometime in the future and the cost of the whole project is estimated at $1.4 million. After publication of the article the newspaper office received questions from our readers.

One such question that was posted as a comment on the article on www.mountainhomenews.com was: "Wonder why the city is proposing a round about in an area that ITD already has a plan for. Seems like a waste of effort and time. Plus isn't American Legion a State highway?

In the interest of keeping our readers fully informed newspaper staff contacted both Lewis, and Urquidi, for an answer.

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