Here are the latest updates on road construction:

It's busy around the Boise hospital. The City of Boise, the Ada County Highway District and St. Luke's are working on many projects in the downtown area. Please plan for an extra few minutes in your commute to account for the additional traffic and road delays.

The transportation projects are being done in partnership with ACHD and the City of Boise.

Here's what you should know about some of the work happening around St. Luke's downtown Boise hospital.

Downtown Boise: To see work being done by utilities, ACHD and other agencies on downtown Boise streets, including Main, Bannock, Idaho and Broadway, see the ACHD site for location information.

State Street lane restrictions ongoing

• Starting Monday, Aug. 10, for approximately two weeks, State Street between 1st and 2nd streets will be reduced to two lanes (from three lanes including the turn lane).
• This will allow construction to continue safely on the exterior of the new Parking Garage along State Street.
• Eastbound and westbound traffic will remain open.

2nd Street between State and Bannock streets is closed to accommodate long-term construction projects. Please watch for detour signs. 

Jefferson, between 1st and 2nd Streets: Expect restrictions as crews work below ground. Access to St. Luke’s Medical Office Plaza will remain open.

Parking, pedestrian and bike access in Jefferson Street and 1st Street area: There is no parking on the block of Jefferson Street between 1st and 2nd streets. The sidewalk is closed on the north side of Jefferson between 1st and 2nd streets as well as on the west side of 1st Street between Jefferson and State streets. There are cycle track/pedestrian restrictions and closures along 2nd Street and State Street. These are long-term changes to allow crews to work on construction projects in the area.

Jefferson, State and Bannock area: Watch for regular lane restrictions and other detours and delays in the areas of 1st and 2nd streets and Jefferson, Bannock and State streets. These restrictions are for utility and construction work, most of it related to the new central plant/parking garage/shipping and receiving building.

• Concrete pours near the Boise hospital are expected to take place over many varied dates and also most Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the next few months: Construction crews are pouring the concrete for the new central plant and patient parking garage being built between 1st and 2nd streets and State and Jefferson streets. When pours happen (other than the regular Wednesday and Friday daytime pours), the workers plan to pour the concrete beginning between 2 and 4 a.m., and the work may continue until midday. The timing of the pours is dependent on the weather and temperatures to ensure that the concrete sets well. Please continue to watch for detours in the Jefferson Street area. (Dates are subject to change.)​​​​​​​
• Flaggers will be available to assist drivers. 
• The concrete pours happening near the intersection of 1st and Jefferson streets are happening in an already closed area. Pedestrians: Note there is no crosswalk between the construction area at 1st and Jefferson and the hospital. Use the crosswalk at Avenue B and Jefferson Street. 
• Construction team leaders and subcontractors are committed to minimizing noise during all of these concrete pours.
• If possible, please also steer clear of 2nd Street. Crews are working off and on in the area with heavy equipment and the like, meaning lane restrictions and closures. 

Bannock Corridor: After several years of planning and months of construction, the redesigned Bannock Street Corridor that runs through the heart of St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center is now open to pedestrians, cyclists and two-way vehicle traffic. This collaborative design has transformed the Bannock Corridor, a one-block stretch from Avenue A to 1st Street, into a dynamic "shared space." 

All users are encouraged to use caution while passing through the corridor. If you are crossing between the South Tower and the hospital, you'll want to pay close attention and watch out for vehicle traffic. 

City of Boise's new Robbins Road Roundabout: The City of Boise’s new roundabout near 3rd, Fort and Robbins is open! Remember to yield to traffic, watch for pedestrians and signal as you exit. This effort was a City of Boise project and is not a part of St. Luke's downtown development plan. Learn more about this city project here on this City of Boise web page.

Main patient/visitor parking garage at the Boise hospital

• Primary hospital access/parking for patients and visitors is from Avenue B to Bannock Street. 
• Note that the vehicle height limit for the patient/visitor parking garage is 7 feet, and delivery trucks and other vendors should not be servicing St. Luke’s via Bannock streets at the front of the hospital. Instead, delivery trucks and vendors should access the Central Plant from 1st Street, using the alley and exiting through the alley and parking lot to Jefferson Street.
• There is additional physician parking in the lot at 148 E. Jefferson Street near St. Luke’s Central Plant. 
• As the building construction continues around the Boise hospital, drivers are urged to exercise caution and allow themselves extra time to park at the Boise hospital. 

Pedestrian access

• Pedestrians should be on the lookout for construction signage detailing the latest detours as they navigate the downtown campus and the areas around St. Luke's Rehabilitation. 

St. Luke's Boise campus development 

St. Luke’s Health System, in conjunction with ACHD and the City of Boise, started road construction in the summer of 2017 around St. Luke's downtown Boise hospital. This work is in preparation for the development project that will modernize the Boise hospital in order to improve access and care, while providing improved transportation flow. 

The first phase of work centered on improvements to public roads and infrastructure in a 12-block area around the hospital. The goal is to better link the area with Boise’s downtown urban core. 

Major aspects of this phase include:

• Construction of the new roundabout at the intersection of East Fort and Reserve streets.
• Construction of a dedicated cycle track around the St. Luke’s perimeter.
• Realignment and improvements on the intersection of 1st, Fort and State streets.
• Creating a dedicated right turn from northbound Avenue B on to East Jefferson.
• Installing bigger sidewalks and bike lanes around the campus perimeter where space allows.

Drivers are also encouraged to reduce speeds in the hospital area because of the activity. Construction crews urge travelers to please be attentive while driving through the project area as conditions change regularly.  Drivers are reminded that they present an additional hazard to work crews. 

They’re urged to do their part to create a safe work environment for the men and women working to improve area roads.  Travelers are also encouraged to add a few extra minutes to their commutes or find alternative and detour routes to avoid delays.

Improvements along the perimeter of the campus include constructing the cycle track, curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

Be prepared for delays

Hospital visitors, patients, physicians and staff should add a few extra minutes to their trip in order navigate the construction zones. 

St. Luke's Cancer Care Institute

For patients receiving care at St. Luke's Cancer Institute in Boise, please note the drop-off area will remain accessible. If other instructions are necessary, signs will be posted to help guide drivers.

Tree removal

Due to the sidewalk and cycle track improvements and as considered at public hearings, trees in this area were removed. St. Luke’s is contractually obligated to replace removed trees using the city forester’s valuation and ACHD right-of-way rules. The tree removal is the result of three specific transportation projects the City of Boise, ACHD and the community requested of St. Luke’s:

• Increased intersection capacity.
• City Modal Elements: the cycle track and other amenities requested by the city.
• Fort Boise Master Plan – Reserve and Fort / Fort and Robbins roundabouts.

St. Luke’s is working closely with the city forester to plant new trees in the cycle track median, in exchange for the 64 removed. St. Luke’s will ensure sensitive and appropriate choices are made for the restoration of the tree canopy throughout this portion of the plan. St. Luke’s intends to plant trees that are more valuable than required under city code and has agreed to incur this expense, even though the work requiring the majority of removals is directed by the three-party agreement.  

Proposed rendering of the cycle track and median showing the replacement trees six to eight years after planting.

Proposed Rendering of the new downtown Boise St. campus.

Main Boise campus

The work is part of St. Luke’s Master Plan for its Boise campus and is the result of years of extensive study, planning and collaboration with key stakeholders, including the City of Boise, the Ada County Highway District and area residents. The thorough process included dozens of workshops, open houses and neighborhood association meetings, which helped to shape and evolve the plan through thoughtful input.

This is not a “single project,” but a multi-phased plan that will occur in stages over the years to come. At its core is our commitment to create an environment in which we can provide the best possible care for patients and families, in an environment geared toward safety, healing and comfort, explained Dave McFadyen, St. Luke's vice president for Population Health. 

“We are happy this is finally moving forward because this development allows us to better meet the needs of our patients by providing modern, advanced care in a more user-friendly setting,” said McFadyen.  “While this development does add capacity, it's less about growth and more about re-configuring our campus.  It will be easier to navigate and find your doctor.  There’s more room to care for our growing, aging community struggling with more complex chronic health problems.  Our physicians will be right there ready to help in an emergency rather than a few blocks away, and our facility will be upgraded in a way that it flows better, saving precious minutes in emergencies, when time truly matters.”

Projects:

• New Children’s Pavilion 
• New central plant
• New parking structure
• New hospital tower
• Expand and modernize St. Luke’s MSTI cancer center
• Expand and modernize St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital
• Expand and upgrade the current hospital tower

Together, the project will be one of the largest investments ever made in Boise and Idaho. It will bring new jobs to the region while building on Boise’s growing reputation as one of the most livable cities in the country with the high-quality health care that is a critical component of quality of life. The project will be financed through bonds, cash on hand and community philanthropy. This major development project is estimated to bring as much as $1.2 billion of rollover economic benefit and job growth to the community.

Rendering of the new St. Luke's Boise Hospital entrance at 1st and Fort Streets.

Crews were able to finish placing the historic home onto its new lot at Avenue B and Bannock Street on May 19. 

The Guest House opened in April 1973 to provide convenient, economical lodging for patients of the Mountain States Tumor Institute and their adult family members. Over the years it few to welcome guests who were under direct medical care at St. Luke's cancer center, St. Luke's Boise Medical Center, St. Luke's Boise Veterans Administration Medical Center, St. Luke's (Elks) Rehab Hospital and other medical facilities, and their caretakers or companions.

MORE INFORMATION – St. Luke’s:
https://www.stlukesonline.org/about-st-lukes/capital-projects/st-lukes-boise-development-plan

MORE INFORMATION – ACHD:
http://www.achdidaho.org

QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS:
feedback@slhs.org