I-86 closure impacts truck driver deliveries

UPDATE 2/08/17: ITD did another assessment of I-86 Wednesday morning and said the westbound lane could possibly be open sometime today. However, the eastbound lane still has a significant amount of water on the road and it will be at least another day until it opens.

ORIGINAL STORY: With Interstate 86 still closed for a second night in a row on Tuesday, it’s impacting more than drivers looking to get out of town for a couple of days.

The Idaho Transportation Department has the area between mile post 14 and 17 still shut down, so drivers are diverted back around at the Rockland exit, just past American Falls.

Folks are needing to take an alternate route, heading back to I-15, then they need to hop on I-84, which will drop drivers in front of the closure. In all, this adds about 200 extra miles to the trip.

Today, with the heavy snowfall and crummy roads, most trucks decided to pull off and wait-out the storm at a rest stop in Chubbuck.

Many of these trucks are still up against the clock, needing to make important deliveries such as gas and food.

Fred Henson is trying to get his load of lumber to Portland, and said he and other frustrated truck drivers just wish ITD would keep folks updated about the progress of the closure.

“You’re going to have to go around, but it would have been nice to know that it’s going to be closed down longer than just a few hours before you get all the way out there and have to come back,” Henson said.

ITD expects that portion of I-86 to remain closed for about one more day.