Frequently Asked Questions

Approval of all new development in Ada County is up to the local land use agencies- the cities and the county. After a local land use agency approves a development, ACHD is in charge of coordinating the needed roadwork to allow it to be built. 

In addition to development, utility companies need to update their infrastructure from time to time. By Idaho statute, ACHD must allow utility companies to complete needed work. 

ACHD is in charge of issuing permits for development and utility companies to work in ACHD's right-of-way. This process involves coordination with several agencies for above and below ground work, while balancing other work in the area, as well as our own planned improvement projects.

In addition to some federally mandated projects, by statute, ACHD cannot deny a project without sufficient reason. A reason we could decline a project would include work that requires a closure on a road being used as a detour for ongoing work. 

Coordinating permits is a big process. Whenever possible, we all work together to ensure that any needed work is done while the road is already being worked on, limiting future time and money on the same section of roadway.

In an area with fast and substantial growth, there are a lot of moving pieces and parts to accommodate new development, manage current infrastructure and improve the transportation network- all at the same time.

While it can cause a temporary inconvenience, the work is needed to ensure critical services are delivered to Ada County residents, and residents will benefit from the utility upgrades and infrastructure improvements for years to come.

ACHD has already delayed several projects that would have interfered with nearby road construction. While delaying work helps lessen the amount of road closures at one time, the projects do need to happen at a later date.

Some of these projects have already been delayed and cannot be delayed any longer. An example is Veolia’s water main replacement project on Five Mile Road. This project was delayed due to work on nearby Cloverdale Road, but the water main improvements need to be completed to ensure service to residents.

Reasons why road closures need to happen at a specific time include: 

• Weather:  Air temperature, road temperature, and precipitation put time constraints on crews. Some projects are near irrigation crossings, meaning crews must complete work in the fall and spring months. 

• Coordination with Seasonal Events: Whether scheduling ACHD projects, or approving permits for utilities to work with ACHD’s right-of-way, we have to consider impacts to traffic, businesses, schools, & residents and then balance these needs with work that must take place. ACHD works to minimize the impact to school zones by scheduling work in the summer months when possible. ACHD also works with local farmers and ranchers who rely on Ada County Roads at specific times of the year, such as harvest season. Another factor is irrigation; some work can only be completed outside of irrigation season.

• Aging Infrastructure: Some work cannot be delayed. Some utility work has already been delayed, but cannot be delayed further without risking the interruption of critical services to residents.

While we work to ensure timelines are followed, at times, delays cannot be anticipated or avoided. Factors that are out of control of ACHD, utility companies or developers may affect the timeline of a road closure. 

In southwest Ada County specifically, there is a substantial amount of rock, which cannot always be foreseen and will slow progress of a construction project.

Other common reasons for unexpected delays include:

• Weather: Weather plays a big role in all of this work getting completed. Rain or snow can prevent crews from paving a roadway or applying paint.
• Unidentified Infrastructure: Crews may discover unidentified utilities or infrastructure once they break ground, requiring additional engineering and design work. 
• Supply Chain Shortages: The construction industry is not immune to supply chain shortages. Critical materials can be temporarily unavailable or delayed in transit. A shortage of employees can also delay contractors from being able to stay on schedule.

Just because there doesn’t appear to be active construction, that does not mean the road is safe to drive on. New asphalt and concrete must be tested and meet certain safety requirements before the road can be legally reopened to the public, a process which can sometimes take several days. Road materials, such as asphalt and paint, take time to cure or set before vehicles can drive in the area.

In some cases, there are unforeseen issues that require engineers to go back to the drawing board to design a solution. While the design work is happening, the road remains unsafe for travel. 

Commuters are reminded to never move a construction sign or attempt to drive on a closed road, regardless of whether there appears to be active construction.

To make it as easy as possible to identify where work is taking place, the ACHD website provides an updated map of current road projects in Ada County, including ACHD and non-ACHD work called "Roadwork in the Area" or "RITA." The map can be accessed at achdidaho.org/RITA.