MERIDIAN, Idaho — After months of delays, the Idaho Transportation Department says the final obstacle preventing the activation of new variable speed limit signs has been cleared, putting the long-awaited safety project one step closer to going live.

The electronic signs, installed along one of Idaho’s busiest roadways, will lower the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph during weekday rush hours — from 7 to 9 a.m. and again from 4 to 6 p.m. Officials say the safety project’s goal is to reduce crashes while improving traffic flow during the busiest times of day.

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Eagle Road’s long-awaited variable speed signs one step closer to operation

The signs have remained inactive for months, prompting questions from Idaho News 6 viewers about why they had yet to be turned on.

According to ITD, the delay stemmed from the need to provide electrical service to the signs. Idaho Power first had to obtain easements from nearby property owners before power could be extended to the new infrastructure — a process that took longer than originally anticipated.

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Idaho Power confirmed this week that the easement work and power installation portion of the project is now complete.

With electricity now connected, ITD says the remaining steps include final system testing before the signs are activated. The agency expects the variable speed limits could begin operating as soon as next week.

The project has been years in the making. Meridian Police have long advocated for reduced speeds during peak commuting hours along Eagle Road, citing the corridor’s growing traffic volumes and history of crashes.

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“I like it at 55, you get places faster, but it might help with accidents,” said Maddie Romine is a manager at Chicken Delite Mediterranean near Ustick and Eagle. She said she often avoids driving the corridor during afternoon rush hour because of heavy congestion and crashes she and her coworkers have witnessed.

“I don’t like to drive it anytime after 3 p.m. because it’s pretty congested,” Romine said.

Jim Howell, who drives Eagle Road nearly every day for work, said the corridor has changed dramatically over the past two decades.

“Lately, to travel 7½ miles takes 45 minutes,” Howell said. “Traffic doesn’t move because there are a lot of stoplights, so timing of the stoplights is key.”

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Meridian Police and the City of Meridian said they were disappointed the project did not launch as originally expected earlier this year but are looking forward to the additional safety benefits once the system becomes operational.

Once activated, the electronic signs will automatically display the lower 45 mph speed limit during weekday morning and evening commutes before returning to 55 mph during off-peak hours.

Idaho News 6 will continue following the project and provide updates once the signs officially go live.