It’s not too late to make sure Idaho isn’t left behind in this next great infrastructure project, writes guest columnist Emily Pape. (Stock photo by Master via Getty Images)
When my grandfather was growing up in McCall, Highway 55 was a dirt road. The trip to Boise, which my grandfather would drive during the summer to visit family, took all day. Today, the drive takes about two hours (traffic depending) and serves over 3,000 vehicles a day .
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Federal infrastructure investments transformed Highway 55 from a rutted dirt road into a catalyst for economic development and a gateway to some of the best outdoor recreation in the world. Those investments didn’t come because of existing demand; they were born from a vision of a more accessible and prosperous Idaho.
That vision of an Idaho that would draw people from across the country came not from the private sector, but from our state and federal governments, which turned this dream into reality through federal investments in American transportation infrastructure…