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Launch of the interchange project draws crowd

Nearly 300 people celebrated the beginning of the Karcher Interchange project in Nampa this week by attending the groundbreaking ceremony or the informational public open house.

The groundbreaking was held Tuesday at the Karcher Road/Caldwell Boulevard in Nampa. Speakers included Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Charles L. Winder, Nampa Mayor Tom Dale, and Russell Keithly, who is developing the nearby Nampa Business Center. The center is a large retail complex whose major tenants will include a Costco wholesale store.

“I appreciate the Idaho Transportation Department for its work in making this interchange a reality,” said Mayor Dale. “It is going to help us to continue the economic growth and prosperity of our city and will also relieve traffic congestion for our residents and visitors.”

Ken Karcher, whose grandparents homesteaded the present-day location of the Karcher Mall, provided a history lesson about his family and its role in developing the area. Karcher also provided the ceremony planning team with a historic photo from 1905 of his grandparents and two of their children standing in front of the homestead.

More than 200 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

The informational open house followed on Wednesday (Aug. 3) at the Nampa Civic Center, drawing about 75 people who wanted to explore the interchange construction plans and their impact on nearby property. Representatives from ITD, prime contractor Central Paving Co. of Boise, and the city of Nampa were present to answer questions.

The Karcher Interchange is expected to be open to traffic by the end of 2006.