by the Meridian Public Works Department
This summer, Linder Road will be getting some much needed improvements between Pine Avenue and Cherry Lane. The City of Meridian will be installing new street lighting along the west side of the roadway to make the walk to school safer for area children. Lighting along Linder Road is currently spotty at best making it difficult for children bound for Meridian High School to see and to be seen by motorists. The walk to school for many attending Meridian High begins around 7 AM, well before the sun has even risen during the fall and winter. Add to the large number of pedestrians early morning commute traffic, school buses, and garbage trucks and you have a very busy section of roadway.
This street lighting project was approved by the City Council last year and was timed to compliment the Ada County Highway District’s widening of the Pine/Linder intersection. Construction of the street lighting project and the widening of the Pine/Linder intersection project are expected to be complete prior to the start of school in the late summer. This will also provide for better handling of detour traffic expected once Meridian Road construction begins in October. It should also be noted that a new pedestrian activated signal is being installed just north of Pine, where the entrance to Meridian High School and West State Street meet Linder Road. This will make crossing the newly widened Linder Road much easier and safer for Meridian High students.
Looking into the future, additional street lighting is in the planning stages for other sections of North Linder Road that see heavy pedestrian traffic. These include the area in front of Rocky Mountain High School and the section of Linder between McMillan and Cherry for Sawtooth and Meridian Middle School students. If you know of a street that you think could benefit from additional street lighting, contact the Public Works Department at 898-5500– we want to hear from you!