ITD shows plans for new Thornton area interchange

With another recent fatal car accident at one of the ground-level intersections on U.S. 20, the Idaho Transportation Department feels the pressure to build a proper freeway overpass.

“We’ve been working on these since the ’90s,” said Wade Allen, an engineering manager at ITD. “We started with the road on the Bonneville/Jefferson county line, and we’re slowly working north.”

ITD plans to build the new freeway interchange under U.S. 20 just north of where 4700 South curves and connects with the east side frontage road. Once the project is complete, all the remaining at-grade intersections along US 20 in the Thornton area will be permanently closed. That means that U.S. 20 won’t have any intersections of that type from Idaho Falls through the Sugar City area.

“Closing the at-grade intersections on U.S. 20 will decrease driver conflict and increase safety in the area,” Allen said.