Construction begins on I-15 interchange project

POCATELLO — Wearing business suits and hardhats, Northgate Interchange partners threw dirt in the air from golden shovels during a groundbreaking ceremony last week signaling the start to a project that its supporters say will forever change the Pocatello area.

As one of the largest public-private partnerships in the history of the state, the Northgate Interchange will connect Siphon Road and Olympus Drive to Interstate 15.

Before thrusting his shovel into dry earth at the Northgate project site in Bannock County just north of Pocatello, Mayor Brian Blad said the interchange will increase mobility and economic opportunity along the I-15 corridor in East Idaho.

“I’m not going to be the politician to talk about how we’ve done things for decades and decades — I just want to thank the landowners for all (their) hard work and for (their) desire to see what’s best for our community,” Blad said. “It’s been amazing to work with them and to see the landowners work together and with our landowners. It’s been incredible.”

The project partnerships include the cities of Chubbuck and Pocatello, Bannock County, the Idaho Transportation Department, the Portneuf Development and Millennial Development of Utah.

After all parties signed the official contract last month, design plans for the actual interchange began immediately and both cities and the county began preparations for building the connecting roads from Siphon and Olympus to I-15.

“This is something that this community has worked on for decades,” said Bannock County Commissioner Evan Frasure. “It’s nice to see us at this stage of the program. We’re building it now and that’s an exciting thing. This will kick off a dream that a lot of us have worked at for a long time.”

The Northgate master plan includes incorporating commercial business, technology parks and retail shopping centers with residential homes, condos and apartments. All parties involved have worked for years to ensure the project reaches fruition.

“We’ve got a pretty special group of elected officials here,” said Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce chair, Shaun Menchaca. “I want to thank both mayors, Mayor Blad and Mayor England, Commissioner Frasure, Commissioner Bullock and the council people. I’ll see these folks at 7 in the morning and I’ll see them at meetings at 9 o’clock at night, in all kinds of capacities in the weekend and I want you to understand how hard the councils, the commission and the mayors have worked on this.”

Connecting infrastructure construction will begin this fall, with the majority of the interchange construction slated for early spring 2018. Despite a few obstacles, community leaders expect the Northgate Interchange to significantly impact the economic opportunities in the area.

Blad previously said the project could bring millions of dollars into the community and the population of Pocatello could double in size.

“As we worked with (the Idaho Transportation Department) through the process, it took a ton of patience,” said Chubbuck Mayor Kevin England. “This was a brand-new idea, a new way of doing things and to try and get that done right has been difficult but I believe that we have done that.”

Buck Swany, a developer with Millennial Development, said that as a collaboration expert, it was an arduous task hunkering down and working with private landowners to figure out a scenario that was a win-win for everyone.

“It can’t be overstated how incredibly important it is to this project that (the land owners) have become part of what we are doing,” Swany said. “(Northgate Interchange) is going to increase the quality and safety with which you get around right away. Your circulation through the whole entire region is going to increase right away.”

Swany continued, “It’s been said multiple times over the last couple years that (Pocatello’s) biggest export, and the most difficult one, (has been) your children. You have been exporting children to other colleges and other places that have great jobs that pay well. You have been exporting your kids for too long.”

Mike Jaglowski, a developer with Portneuf Development, echoed Swany’s compliments, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices made by the landowners who were willing to part ways with land their families have owned for five generations.

And when the Northgate community is fully developed, both Swany and Jaglowski are hopeful that the export of future generations reaches a tipping point.

“We want to create a multi-generational change here where your kids can grow up and go to their great schools, great colleges and take up great paying jobs,” Swany said. “And stay here with you living in the shadows of the mountains they grew up in.”

This story originally appeared in the Idaho State Journal. It is posted here with permission.