IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — US-20 near Lindsay Boulevard has seen quite a few crashes, including the one on Friday, August 29. Four vehicles collided, but all passengers walked away with only minor injuries.
Local News 8 asked the Idaho Department of Transportation if they plan to make improvements to the area. They say they are working to make the roads safer and less congested, as part of their plans to relocate the I-15 exit and US-20 and widen the roads.
“Because we know that area right in town in Idaho Falls is so busy, it has been on our radar for many years already to make a very large scale improvement,” said ITD Public Information Officer Sky Buffat.
There is no specific timeline just yet on when the project will be finished, but Buffat says we are closer to seeing the improvements they have in mind than ever before.
A lot goes into a road project. Every time ITD plans to start one, it has to present an Environmental Impact Statement, a 200-plus page-long document that lists all the things the project will affect.
“The noise, the cultural, historical, wetlands, so much more,” Buffat said. “All of those things have to be studied and analyzed and then put into a document for the Federal Highway Administration to overview, review and approve.”
Buffat says the public can help by being especially careful when driving through work areas to make sure no accidents put the road work on pause.
More information about ITD’s plans involving US-20 can be found here.
