Parking restrictions and road closures for Melaleuca Freedom Celebration and Riverfest

With the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration and Riverfest at Snake River Landing this year, the City of Idaho Falls has released a map to help parking and traffic run smoothly.

The city asks you review the Parking & Exiting Map (below) before attending the holiday events.

Routes in and around Idaho Falls will be restricted, but certain parking lots will allow for faster exits to certain locations.

The road closures listed below go into effect at the time shown and will reopen when traffic exiting the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration has sufficiently cleared.

Milligan Road south of 901 Pier View Drive will close at 9 a.m. Beginning at 11 a.m. portions of Snake River Parkway will close to all public vehicle traffic. There is no on street parking allowed anywhere on Snake River Parkway. Lochsa Drive will close at 11 a.m. Beginning at 10 p.m., portions of the following roadways will be closed in preparation of traffic exiting the fireworks: Pier View Drive Whitewater Drive Connection between Snake River Parkway and Pioneer Road Pioneer Lane

Restricted traffic flows will occur on roadways beginning at 10 p.m.

Broadway Street & Memorial Drive – westbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Broadway Street & Yellowstone Hwy – southbound lane closure 10 p.m. Utah Avenue & Pioneer Road – southbound lane closure 10 p.m. Pancheri Drive east of Skyline Drive – eastbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Pancheri Drive & Utah Avenue – northbound lane closure 10 p.m. Pancheri Drive from Milligan Road – right turn only beginning 10 p.m. Pancheri Drive & Memorial Drive – westbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Pancheri Drive & Yellowstone Hwy – southbound lane closure 10 p.m. Pier View Drive & Snake River Parkway – southbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Sunnyside Road & Yellowstone Hwy – westbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Sunnyside Road & Snake River Parkway – westbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Pioneer Drive & Sunnyside Road – northbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Pioneer Lane & Sunnyside Road – northbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Sunnyside Road near I-15 Interchange – eastbound lane closure at 10 p.m. Interstate 15 at Sunnyside Road – off-ramp closures from north and south at 10 p.m.

The city anticipates traffic will move slower particularly when exiting the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration fireworks at Snake River Landing and asks you exercise extra patience during the holiday.

Also, the city released the following about saving and marking viewing areas:

“Reserving or marking viewing areas for the purpose of obtaining a viewing location for the fireworks may not occur prior to 6 a.m. on July 4 on public property or at locations provided by Snake River Landing. To prevent damage to public property or property at Snake River Landing, it is important that items such as, but not limited to, blankets, tarps, and pop-up tents not be placed on the lawn prior to 6 a.m. on July 4.

Any items placed prior to 6 a.m. on July 4 at city parks, River Walk or Snake River Landing will be removed and placed in designated lost and found locations. To retrieve any lost items, contact Snake River Landing at (208) 557-5300 during regular business hours. The office will be closed on July 4, but will reopen on July 5. To retrieve any lost items left at city parks or the River Walk, contact Parks & Recreation at (208) 612-8480 during regular business hours. City offices will be closed on July 4, but will reopen on July 5.

Items placed on public or private property (including the viewing areas provided by Snake River Landing) to designate a reservation are left at the owner’s risk and do not create a guarantee that the reserved area will remain available to the person or persons who reserved the area.

All personal belongings brought to event sites on public property or the viewing areas provided by Snake River Landing must be removed by midnight on July 4.

Do not drive stakes into the ground on public or private property at Snake River Landing as they may damage sprinkler heads, pipes or other infrastructure on public property or on viewing locations provided by Snake River Landing.

Do not mark off sidewalks, grass and roadways with defacing material such as any type of paint or adhesive material such as duct tape.

Pop up canopies and tents that may obstruct views must be lowered at sundown prior to the launch of the fireworks at Snake River Landing.

Do not block or interfere with pedestrian access or vehicular traffic or block sidewalks to reserve public areas or viewing areas provided by Snake River Landing.”