Turn restrictions coming to Iona Road, Yellowstone Highway intersection

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Drivers traveling through the intersection of Iona Road and U.S. Highway 26 will see significant changes beginning next week.

According to the Idaho Transportation Department, the intersection will be restricted to right-in and right-out turns only starting Monday, Aug. 31. Left turns and crossing the highway will no longer be permitted.

Under the new traffic pattern, motorists traveling north or south on Yellowstone Highway will still be able to turn right onto Iona Road. Drivers approaching the intersection from Iona Road will also be able to make right turns onto Yellowstone Highway.

ITD said the change had originally been planned as part of a larger construction project scheduled for next summer at Yellowstone Highway and Hitt Road. However, transportation officials decided to move the restrictions forward following several serious crashes and discussions between Bonneville County and ITD that identified the Iona Road intersection as a priority for safety improvements.

According to ITD, advance warning signs will be installed this week ahead of the transition. Crews will place concrete barriers, traffic-control barrels and permanent delineators in the center of Yellowstone Highway for approximately 800 feet.

Transportation officials are asking drivers to obey the new traffic pattern and noted that attempts to drive between or around the traffic-control devices will not be possible.

Drivers who need to make a left turn or cross Yellowstone Highway should use signalized intersections at Woodruff Avenue or Hitt Road, according to ITD.

The turn restrictions are part of broader improvements planned for the area. ITD said construction at Yellowstone Highway and Hitt Road is expected to begin next summer. The project includes widening Hitt Road to five lanes, replacing the existing roundabout at Hitt and Iona roads with a traffic signal, and installing a permanent median barrier on Yellowstone Highway at the Iona Road intersection.