REXBURG— U.S. Highway 20 Exit 333 in Rexburg will re-open Thursday night with a new diverging diamond interchange in place. This exit has been closed since late July so the Idaho Transportation Department and contractors could construct the new road design and complete vital underground infrastructure work.
The re-opening comes in time for an increase of traffic as university students arrive in Rexburg for the fall semester. All lanes of traffic will be open and construction efforts remain off the roadway at both Exit 332 (University Boulevard) and Exit 333 (Main Street) through this weekend to accommodate this influx.
“There really is a light at the end of the tunnel in Rexburg,” ITD Project Manager Conner Huffaker said. “We’re excited to be giving people some relief from construction and know that these new exits will do a great job of keeping everyone safe and moving better. Thank you for bearing with us.”
Motorists and citizens should be aware that construction efforts will continue again next week and through the month of October. Intermittent single-lane closures will be in place, with traffic still able to move through the interchanges. Impacts will be noted on 511.idaho.gov.
University Boulevard Exit will fully close again during the week of September 30 through October 4 to allow crews to add a final layer of pavement. This timeframe has been selected in coordination with when Madison School District is out of school for harvest break. Work on both exits is on track to be completed late this Fall. For further details about this project and to watch a video on how to drive the new diverging diamond traffic pattern, visit itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.
Beginning tomorrow night at 10 p.m., the northbound lanes of Interstate 15 will be closed underneath the Woodville Overpass so crews can replace a damaged girder. A detour will be in place until 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Traffic will be detoured off the interstate at Exit 108 to U.S. Highway-91 and then will return to the interstate at Exit 113.
The girder was damaged in November when a towed excavator travelling on I-15 struck the bridge. Traffic on the overpass has been limited to one lane while ITD prepared for the repair. Work will continue until the end of the month when the overpass will be fully open to two-way traffic.
Motorists are encouraged to visit 511.idaho.gov or use the 511 app to keep track of project detours.
Beginning tomorrow night, the northbound to westbound ramp of the Interstate 86/Interstate 15 System Interchange will be closed to allow for demolition of the old eastbound to northbound bridge. Traffic intending to travel westbound on Interstate 86 from northbound Interstate 15 will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange. Work will continue until Thursday when the ramp reopens at 7:30 a.m.
Originally built in the 1960s, this is the last existing bridge of the System Interchange that will need demolition as part of the $112 million redesign. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night, it is especially important that drivers be alert and proceed safely through the work zone.
Motorists are encouraged to use 511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are also available at https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange
Three railroad crossings on State Highway 38 near Malad will close for repairs for up to three weeks starting Sept. 19, with some work beginning next week. Detours will be posted and message boards will be in place to alert the public to the coming road closure.
Preliminary work at the crossings will consist of delivery of materials and prebuilding new rail track panels outside the roadway and will not cause full closures.
Crews will replace the concrete pads and rails to make the crossings smoother. New drains will also be installed to address ponding issues.
Traffic impacts from this project and others are always available at 511.idaho.gov
U.S. Highway 20 Exit 333 for Rexburg will remain closed through Labor Day weekend and into next week. Contractors and crews have encountered multiple difficulties on site, including the breakage and repair of a main sewer line last week, causing unanticipated delays. The Idaho Transportation Department is now committed to Exit 333 being open ahead of the influx of university traffic on Friday, September 13.
While this primary exit into Rexburg has been closed during the month of August, ITD and contractor partners have repaired and rebuilt multiple city utilities, constructed and repaired drainage and irrigation systems, as well as removed and reconfigured the road itself. This work takes additional operational time now but will save city and community partners from having to close the roadway for infrastructure needs in the future.
“We know that Rexburg has endured a lot with construction this summer,” Project Manager Conner Huffaker said. “We hope people will continue to be patient for just a little longer and know that the end outcome will be a major improvement for the long-term future.”
Completion of all work on both Exit 332 for University Boulevard and Exit 333 for Main Street is still expected to be completed by late fall. Motorists should plan for continued construction near the interchanges until that time, with at least one lane of traffic open in both directions.
Exit 333 will reopen with the same diverging diamond interchange design as is now operating at exit 332. This traffic pattern is far more efficient than what was in place before and will greatly improve travel to and from Rexburg.
Further details about this project and how to drive the new design can be found at itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg.
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Beginning tomorrow at noon the eastbound Interstate 86 to southbound Interstate 15 ramp will be closed while crews construct a temporary road to the new eastbound to southbound ramp. Eastbound traffic on I-86 looking to travel south on I-15 will be detoured north through the Northgate Interchange (Exit 73). The closed ramp will reopen late Sunday.
This work will allow the eastbound lanes to be adjusted to the grade of the new ramp. Doing the work this weekend will limit traffic impacts during the peak Labor Day weekend.
Originally built in the 1960s, the I-86 and I-15 System Interchange is undergoing $112 million of redesign work to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
Motorists should carefully follow signs and posted speed limits while traveling through the construction area. With crews working day and night at the System Interchange it is especially important that drivers be alert and proceed safely through the work area.
Motorists are encouraged to use https://511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available here on ITD’s projects website —https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange
Starting this evening, motorists will encounter new traffic patterns at the Interstate 86 and Interstate 15 System Interchange in Pocatello. The newly constructed I-86 eastbound to I-15 northbound ramp is set to open to traffic tonight. Alongside this change, the rightmost lane of I-86 eastbound will be closed as part of the new traffic configuration.
Drivers should also be aware that the split point for the eastbound-to-northbound and eastbound-to-southbound lanes will be shifted to the west, near the Hiline Bridge.
Originally built in the 1960s, the I-86 and I-15 System Interchange is undergoing $112 million of redesign work to improve safety and replace aging infrastructure. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
Motorists are encouraged to stay informed about the latest traffic updates and detours by visiting 511.idaho.gov or using the 511 app. Additional details about the project can be found on ITD’s projects website, https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is beginning construction to widen Interstate 15 (I-15) to three lanes in each direction between the Northgate and Fort Hall interchanges to accommodate projected increases in traffic volumes. This Leading Idaho multi-year project includes widening I-15, constructing a median barrier to separate opposing lanes of traffic and reconstructing bridge structures, including overpasses and underpasses, to accommodate the additional lanes.
Motorists can expect to see traffic control devices in the project area as early as Monday morning. Work has been phased to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction during the day for most of the project. However, motorists should be aware some nighttime work will require single-lane closures.
This fall, crews will shift traffic to create the space they need to build a median wall, reconstruct structures, and demolish and reconstruct the existing northbound lanes of the interstate.
During construction, motorists should expect:
- Nighttime work begins the week of August 19 and will continue for the first couple weeks of construction. Work will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Nighttime single-lane closures may happen occasionally after this period.
- Daytime work is expected to begin early this fall and will occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Lane restrictions will occur on I-15. Most work requiring lane restrictions is anticipated to occur at night.
- Ramp adjustments will occur at the Fort Hall Interchange (Exit 80) to match the grade of the new mainline.
- Variable speed limit signs will be installed in the project area, allowing ITD to lower speeds when crews are working near traffic.
Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2027. The project will increase capacity and improve safety on I-15 to serve East Idaho’s growing transportation volumes for years to come.
Due to the large project area, the widening of this stretch of I-15 has been divided into two projects with separate contractors. These contractors will work simultaneously to complete the projects. Western Construction, Inc. and Sundt Construction are the contractors for the north and south project areas, respectively.
Construction is being funded as part of Idaho Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho transportation funding initiative. The Leading Idaho initiative allows ITD to take a deliberate approach to advance large projects that will enhance safety, improve mobility, further strengthen Idaho’s economy, and positively impact communities across the state for years to come.
To sign up for project updates:
Beginning this morning, traffic patterns are changing at the System Interchange in Pocatello. Traffic using the southbound entrance ramp from Northgate can now merge with the new southbound alignment and will no longer be detoured through the Interstate 86 Chubbuck Exit before returning to Interstate 15.
In addition, southbound I-15 traffic wishing to travel west on I-86 will now drive over the new Chubbuck bridge before exiting to the right.
Motorists are encouraged to keep up-to-date via https://511.idaho.gov or the 511 app to keep track of project detours. Project details are available here on ITD’s projects website —https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/i-86i-15-system-interchange
