The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will resume work on State Highway 55 between Smiths Ferry and the Rainbow Bridge on March 14.
Drivers can anticipate single-lane, alternating one-way traffic with 15-minute delays at the start of construction while crews are actively working. Four-hour closures from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday will not start until mid-April. ITD will advise the public prior to the closures beginning.
“We are going into spring with lessons learned from last year,” said Jason Brinkman, ITD engineering manager. “We have spent the past winter working with geotechnical experts and the project team to change designs based on new information gathered after studying the areas where slides occurred.”
In 2021, the project area experienced two rockslides that closed the roadway for about three weeks, and another smaller slide in January 2022 that closed the road for a few days. ITD brought in additional geotechnical experts and engineers are assisting with the reevaluation of the project.
To date, crews have removed over 160,000 cubic yards of materials in the project area.
The spring schedule is anticipated to continue through late May. For more information on the Smiths Ferry Project schedule and to sign up for updates, visit itdprojects.org/id55smithsferry.
