The Idaho Transportation Department will host a meeting Tuesday, June 18, with community officials, federal and state agencies, and technical staff as planned to evaluate alternatives as a part of the ongoing Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study for U.S. Highway 20 between Ashton and the State Highway 87 junction.
ITD initiated a preliminary environmental study and public engagement process in 2021 to examine ways to make US-20 a safer roadway and reliable connection to adjacent communities, Yellowstone National Park, and the region. During development of a PEL study, alternatives undergo three levels of screening based on a range of criteria, including safety, traffic, capacity, and multiple environmental factors. Screening is done in concert with local communities before seeking federal approval to begin an environmental impact study on a smaller number of recommended alternatives. This screening meeting is the third in the three-year process.
An open house will be held this fall to present the findings of the screening and to gather public comments. The Idaho Transportation Board will consider options to move forward to the environmental impacts study phase at a meeting later this year. For more information about the project and the PEL process, please visit the project websites at us20ashtonto87.com and itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us-20-ashton-to-sh-87-jct.