New traffic light, other upgrades planned for busy Pocatello intersection
Published at![Pocatello intesection](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets.eastidahonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Pocatello-intesection-860x482.jpg)
The following is a news release from the city of Pocatello. Image: Google Maps
Construction to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Hawthorne Road and West Quinn Road will begin Wednesday, Feb. 15. The intersection will be closed during the initial phase.
Crews will close the intersection starting Tuesday, Feb. 14, to prepare for construction. The first phase will include irrigation work, set to be completed by the end of March 2023. Construction of the intersection will proceed in early summer 2023, and the full project is expected to be completed in August 2023.
The intersection facilitates roughly 9,000 daily trips. Currently, the intersection is controlled by a four-way stop, and traffic backs up significantly in all directions at peak hours. The public has shown overwhelming support for this project.
The Bannock Transportation Planning Organization Policy Board determined that traffic at this intersection has exceeded its design capacity and that further improvements are necessary. The total estimated cost of the project is $4,090,591. The City of Pocatello has paid a 7.34 percent match and the City of Chubbuck is reimbursing the City of Pocatello 25 percent of that match.
On Dec. 6, the Idaho Transportation Department opened the bids for the project. These bids have been certified and ITD has awarded the construction contract.
The City has been working on the project with the ITD, Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, and several consultants since 2011. The project has property acquisitions, utility adjustments/relocations, irrigation piping permits, and a construction schedule for FY2024.