Transportation Dept votes to close Bear World access road - East Idaho News
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Transportation Dept votes to close Bear World access road

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RIGBY — The Idaho Transportation Department has unanimously voted to close the intersection that provides access to Yellowstone Bear World.

On Thursday, at the Idaho Transportation office in Rigby, board members heard comments from Micheal Ferguson, CEO of Yellowstone Bear World and ITD Chief Operations Officer Jim Carpenter regarding the closure of South 4300 West and U.S. Highway 20.

The 4300 West intersection provides access to Yellowstone Bear World from the north- and southbound lanes of Highway 20.

“In July 2016 Bear World requested a meeting with ITD through Sen. (Brent) Hill (R-Rexburg), The owners expressed dissatisfaction with the off-ramp agreement because it did not address access to both sides of U.S. 20,” ITD Chief Operations Officer Jim Carpenter said. “Yellowstone Bear World requested that the South 4300 West at-grade intersection remain open until another interchange could be built at that location.”

Carpenter focused the board’s attention to a letter from Bear World stating that it would not be willing to donate property for a south bound exit unless ITD would commit to later providing a northbound exit.

In the letter, Ferguson wrote “We believe the closure of both accesses will greatly damage YBW and any commercial property that we own and YBW will certainly hold ITD responsible.”

Ferguson spoke to the board in a different tone then what was assumed in the letter Carpenter referred to. Stepping back from the position of all or nothing, Ferguson told the transportation board he is committed to moving forward with the agreement to provide a southbound exit to Yellowstone Bear World following the closure of the intersection.

“We agree that the southbound access in the right location that will allow for future growth and expansion that will eventually allow access to both north- and southbound lanes,” Ferguson said. “This will be a start to a great solution. The opportunity to plan for the future is now.”

Ferguson said providing a north- and southbound off-ramp would be a win for everyone, the State of Idaho, Madison County, community members and Yellowstone Bear World.

Carpenter told the board his team reviewed the safety and economic impact of adding an additional interchange at the 4300 West intersection.

“The Thornton intersection (being built) was selected over the South 4300 West location based on minimizing farm and wet land in packs, avoiding bald eagle winter area and fish-bearing streams, also minimizing the negative impact to the Thornton area businesses and residents,” Carpenter said. “The community favored the Thornton location over the S 4300 W by a margin of six to one.”

Carpenter told the board that adding an additional interchange at the intersection would cost between $15 to $20 million and over a period of 20 years it would only produce a 42 percent return on that investment.

The transportation board voted unanimously to permanently close the intersection.

The 4300 West intersection will remain open until the Thornton Interchange is complete.

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