What Settlers is trying to use the bridge issue as a wedge to force the highway district to take the road drainage that's been going in there for better than four decades, and find a better solution for it.

At this point we are going ahead with the project as proposed, but the commission has not ruled out talking to the city.

The five-year plan is our near-term 'do list.' It lists the projects likely to be included in our budget and built in the next couple of years. People wondering when that road will be widened, when that signal they heard was going in will actually occur, when a rumored new road might be built, can look in this document to see if it's going to happen soon.

We can't comment specifically other than to say that we're considering all options to move this project along as quickly as we can. Our view is they (the irrigation district) can't legally withhold permission.

Improving a two and three land road to a better three lane road doesn't get you that big capacity improvement. The conclusion is we need a five lane facility and that's what we're going to build.

They created an issue. They want the taxpayers of Ada County to pay to solve the issue. And they want to hold motorists hostage until they get the terms to their liking. It's extortion, plain and simple.

There is no other place to put that storm water. And in absence of another place to put it, you're looking at road way and residential flooding during a rain event.

The idea is to expand it with two additional travel lanes to be able to handle that volume.

Our storm water has been going in for decades. We find it unacceptable that they want to change the rules now.