Crews begin work on new roundabout

Some in Idaho Falls may be wondering why crews are taking down several trees at the intersection of South Blvd. and Elm St.

It is part of a new roundabout project going in at the intersection. The city says they had problems with vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Once they get further into the project, they will have to close the intersection to build the center island. They say there are some challenges with the angle of the intersection due to corner avenue, but decided that the roundabout is the best option.

“It’s a difficult intersection to signalize in a safe manner,” said Idaho Falls City Engineer Kent Fugal. “It’s also one that has not been pedestrian friendly. So, as we looked at all options, we kinda came across the roundabout as being what we thought best met the capacity needs, the safety needs for the vehicular traffic. And also, it provides significantly improved pedestrian access over the current intersection.”

The project is scheduled to be completed in September. The city says they will be planting new trees to replace the ones they have taken down.