Snowplow crash between Idaho Falls and Arco snarls traffic on U.S. Highway 20
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IDAHO FALLS – Hazardous weather and road conditions created a lot of headaches for Idaho National Laboratory employees Wednesday.
INL made the decision early Wednesday morning to halt operations until 11 a.m. and the Idaho Transportation Department reported U.S. Highway 20 from the INL to Idaho Falls was closed.
RELATED | INL halts operations until 11 a.m. Wednesday due to weather
Sometime before 5 a.m., INL spokeswoman Sarah Neumann tells EastIdahoNews.com an INL snow plow working to clear the highway flipped over near mile marker 276.
No one was hurt, but the crash caused traffic delays Wednesday afternoon as workers started their commute. INL managers sent an advisory to employees at 2 p.m. informing them that site operations would be curtailed for the remainder of the day.
“Buses made their evening pickups at 2 p.m. at ATR, MFC, SMC and all IEC facilities,” the advisory says.
As of 2 p.m., weather conditions were hampering emergency crews’ efforts to get the snowplow upright and back on the road.
“The Idaho Transportation Department is waiting to reopen the highway until the plow can be safely recovered,” INL officials say.
Highway 20 between Idaho Falls and Arco remains closed, as of 4 p.m., according to ITD’s 511.
Employees working at the INL’s Idaho Falls campus worked their normal shifts Wednesday and were not affected by the shutdown in Arco.
EastIdahoNews.com will provide updates to this story as they become available.
For a 7-day forecast and the latest weather conditions where you live, click here. Current road conditions and closures are available here.
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