For years, Boise has eyed two large-scale road projects to serve the fast-changing landscape southeast of Gowen Field. Now, city officials are optimistic that federal funding can speed one of them along.
The city is pursuing a Department of Transportation grant to fund planning for an extension of Lake Hazel Road, which would span a stretch of sagebrush steppe between Eisenman Road and Orchard Street. The grant would cover $5.6 million of the estimated $7 million study; the rest would be split between the city, public partners and private landowners with stakes in the area.
Both a Lake Hazel extension and a realigned Orchard Street are key to Boise’s evolving vision for the area city planners call South Airport. With its quick access to I-84 and proximity to Micron’s ever-growing campus, the area has rapidly reshaped itself into an industrial hub since the COVID-19 pandemic. Eisenman, which runs parallel to Interstate 84, has been a particular hotspot for industrial development as national firms look to take advantage of Micron’s investment and gain a toehold in the burgeoning Northwest…