Drivers traveling State Highway 54 between Farragut State Park and Bayview will encounter construction beginning Monday as crews repave nearly three miles of highway between the traffic circle and the top of the hill above Bayview. This work will provide a smoother, more durable roadway for travelers and is expected to be complete by late October.
Repaving the traffic circle will require a full closure for two days, Oct. 5-6. Drivers traveling between Athol and Bayview will be detoured via Howard Road, Perimeter Road and Bayview Road. Drivers traveling from Athol to Farragut State Park will continue through Bayview to Locust Grove Road to reach the State Park. Detour signs will direct drivers around the closed traffic circle, including those accessing roads in the area south of SH-54.
After the traffic circle reopens, SH-54 will remain open for the rest of the paving project, with at least one lane maintained at all times through the work zone. Drivers should continue to expect reduced speeds, shifting traffic patterns and delays when traffic must alternate through a single lane. Access to individual driveways and side roads may be temporarily limited while crews lay asphalt across those approaches and allow it to cure.
Construction is scheduled during daylight hours, generally from 6 a.m. until dusk, Monday through Friday. Some Saturday work may be necessary depending on paving operations and equipment availability.
Although earlier plans anticipated keeping SH-54 open throughout paving, a brief closure of the traffic circle is now needed. ITD recognizes that a detour is inconvenient, especially following the extended closure through Farragut State Park earlier this year, and appreciates the community’s patience during these final roadway improvements.
Funding for this previously-unplanned project was approved earlier this spring by the Idaho Transportation Board in response to public feedback.
“We’ve known this stretch of SH-54 needed attention, and we appreciate the board recognizing that need and supporting the funding to make repaving possible,” Project Manager Alan Kyaw said. “We’re glad that support is allowing us to move this project forward and deliver a much better roadway to the community before the end of 2026, especially heading into winter.”
This project follows on the heels of major construction completed in July at Farragut State Park where a pedestrian underpass was constructed beneath SH-54 at Brig Road. That project was planned by Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and required a full closure of SH-54 through the park starting in February and lasting through mid-summer.
Always stay alert and drive safely through work zones. For current traffic impacts and road conditions drivers should visit 511.idaho.gov or download the Idaho 511 app.