Idaho Transportation Department plans $1.5 million overhaul of Hwy. 91 through Shelley

The Idaho Transportation Department hopes to complete a $1.5 million overhaul of Highway 91 between mile posts 117 and 119 in Shelley before the Eastern Idaho State Fair.

“It’s like playing frogger,” driver Skylar Smythe said. “You’re dodging potholes left and right. It’s bad, honestly.”

ITD is currently working on a design to deal with a number of potholes within the two mile stretch of highway. The design is currently in the approval process. ITD said the approval has to come from the Boise office. Once the approval is given, ITD will begin soliciting bids for the project. The goal is to have construction underway this summer.

“We need to expedite this project,” ITD engineer-manager James Orner said.

The stretch of highway transports 7,090 vehicles a day. When construction starts, ITD said the highway will be reduced to one lane in both directions, but drivers shouldn’t see a major impact on travel.

“It shouldn’t be too difficult,” Orner said. “They will need to keep one lane in each direction open during construction.”

ITD said fixing Highway 91 has been a priority, but this year’s harsh winter caused more damage than they expected so they decided to speed up the project. In addition to the pothole fix, ITD will add a left-hand turn lane at the intersection of Locust Street and the highway.

“People can pull into that area and wait for the opportunity for open traffic so that they can make a left turn onto Locust,” Orner said.

As part of the construction project, ITD will also make the crosswalks more compliant under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city of Shelley will help pay for a portion of that. About 97 percent of the project will be funded be federal dollars.