Highway 26 speed limit reduced after dozens of rock damage complaints

The Idaho Transportation Department has reduced the speed limit on Highway 26 after receiving several complaints about rock causing damage to vehicles between Idaho Falls and Swan Valley. The announcement comes after KIFI/KIDK took the concerns of dozens of drivers to ITD and asked what was being done.

“It is still too early for us to be able to determine what has gone on,” said ITD public information specialist Jake Melder. “We have not said, this is what happened to get the road to this condition.”

Drivers say since rock chipping work ended late this summer, their cars have suffered significant damage; in some cases, thousands of dollars in body work was required to repair the damage.

“It has just been a horrible mess,” said driver Bryon Hodges.

Hodges is one of several people who told KIFI/KIDK that since the rock chipping ended, he has had to replace his windshield and the body of his truck has suffered significant damage.

“We as taxpayers, we pay good money to have that road taken care of and it is a safety issue,” said Hodges.

Hodges had not filed a claim with the contractor, HK Contractors, when KIFI/KIDK interviewed him. Dozens of others had. They tell KIFI/KIDK that their claims have been denied.

“ITD, your employees have all admitted there is an issue with the work here,” reporter Chris Oswalt said while interviewing a spokesperson for HK Contractors. “If you know there is an issue with the work your company did, why are you denying these claims?”

The employee referred our question to the claims department, but within an hour, changed their statement, telling Oswalt that anyone who has had a claim denied should resubmit it and it will likely be paid. The spokesperson also said all future claims will be expedited.

The Idaho Transportation Department told KIFI/KIDK that it hired HK Contractors of Idaho Falls to complete the work on Highway 26 from Holmes Avenue in Idaho Falls to Swan Valley. ITD says immediately after work was finished, complaints started coming in.

“We started to get some phone calls from our traveling public and they were reporting to us that rocks were flying and hitting their cars and windshields, causing damage,” said Matt Davison, ITD’s project engineer.

Davison said HK Contractors has been used many times in the past, with success. ITD said it is unclear what is causing the rocks to break loose and fly up, causing damage.

“We have standards set out for what a project to do and we are going to make sure that any contract work we do, meets those standards and if it doesn’t, we are going to make sure that those things get corrected,” said ITD’s Jake Melder.

ITD says HK Contractor crews have “broomed” the road seven times so far. KIFI/KIDK is told crews will do an eighth brooming later this week. A permanent solution to the flying rocks likely won’t be in place until next spring or summer because of winter weather, according to ITD.

ITD said it is also looking into concerns over rock causing damage to vehicles on U.S. 93 between Arco and Mackay. ITD told KIFI/KIDK that a different contractor was used, and it is looking into these concerns as well.

Anyone wanting to file a claim with HK Contractors can do so by clicking here, but there are some things to keep in mind before doing so.

A local attorney told us to make sure you document everything, including location, time, speed and weather conditions. It is also important to take pictures, according to the attorney. He said you will need those during the claim. He also suggested you file a claim with your insurance company; if they end up paying, HK Contractors will have to pay them back.