I-15 traffic shift begins Thursday evening near Fort Hall

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Drivers on Interstate 15 near Fort Hall should prepare for traffic changes Thursday evening as the Idaho Transportation Department shifts southbound traffic onto newly constructed lanes in the median.

According to ITD, the traffic switch will allow crews to continue work on widening I-15 to three lanes between Northgate and Fort Hall.

The shift will move southbound traffic from the Sheepskin Road Bridge to an area north of the 2½ Mile Road Bridge. As part of the change, the southbound off-ramp at the Fort Hall Interchange (Exit 80) will be closed for about one hour beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Motorists planning to exit at Fort Hall during that time will need to use either the Northgate Interchange (Exit 73) or the South Blackfoot Interchange (Exit 89) as a detour, according to ITD.

Drivers should also expect intermittent lane closures on southbound I-15 between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. While construction is underway, two lanes of traffic will remain open in each direction during daytime hours.

The work is part of ITD's I-15 Northgate to Fort Hall project, which began in fall 2024. The $200 million project is designed to improve safety and increase capacity along the corridor by expanding the interstate to three lanes in both directions.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2027, according to ITD.