Submitted by Ken Watts
US20 Open House June 2023 This is a summary of what I learned at the Idaho Transportation Department’s open house (June 27, 2023) on US Highway 20 project, Ashton to SH 87. Most of the ITD project team has been replaced. I was told that this was a result of a resolution, presumably, from the Fremont County Republican Central Committee (more on this in a future article). Most of the contractor staff seems to still be in place. Most of the posters depicted a 4 lane freeway for all the highway segments. The posters showed only one solution for each segment. There were a couple of posters on the Super 2 design (added passing lanes). The posters included pros and cons of the Super 2 and where additional passing lanes would be added to improve traffic flow and safety. There was also a video of a Super 2 highway playing. One of the posters said that top level social and economic analyses had been completed for the highway design alternatives. I asked for the analyses and was referred to another person. These analyses are a requirement of the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) process that ITD is implementing. Top level analyses are not acceptable when the future of the people and businesses in Island Park are at stake. It makes me angry to see so little regard for the well-being of the people of Island Park and Ashton. This matter has been discussed with Representative Rod Furness (D31). I expect it to be addressed. It was clear that ITD and their contractors had read our community proposal (over 50 pages) for the highway. This was also evident at the Capitol For A Day meeting in St. Anthony a couple of weeks ago. Your time was not wasted preparing this proposal. There were not posters on the stop lights at the major intersections in Island Park. Recall that ITD met with the county and city on this issue and action was expected. These intersections were addressed in detail in the community proposal. The stop light at Elk Creek was specifically discussed and an ITD person thought there was a right of way issue. The right of way is around 200 feet! I suspect the trucking lobby had influence on this issue. They likely oppose any stop lights as it slows them down. For the people of Island Park, safety is the issue at these intersections, not speed. Maybe the biggest win of the night was the discussion on re-striping at the bottom of Ashton Hill. This discussion involved the ITD project engineer, the ITD state engineer, Commissioner Blair Dance, and several concerned citizens. The issue is that people traveling north on US 20 must turn left from the passing lane to enter Ashton Hills Estates. This is extremely dangerous because the traffic is moving at 65 mph+. The solution is very simple and cheap to implement. The lines can be re-painted so that the passing lane starts just north of the access to Ashton Hills Estates and there would be a long left turn lane added. A downhill right turn lane could also easily be added for safety. ITD “may” have committed to addressing this near term solution. The trucking lobby will likely oppose this solution because the truckers like to get a high speed run at the hill. Please get involved. I am always amazed at how few business owners attend these meetings. Your future depends on the alternative that is selected.
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Making Sense of It All
This blog will help you make sense out of all the information on the website, how it affects IP, our history, and how efforts continue to put IP into various forms of conservation status. Archives
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