Road construction near US Highway 20 exits in Rexburg nears completion
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REXBURG — New directional signs were being installed over University Boulevard and West Main Street on Wednesday morning, marking the beginning of the final chapter in the year-long construction project.
Idaho Transportation Department District 6 spokeswoman Sky Buffat told EastIdahoNews.com that installation of the new signs was expected to last until the end of this week, with traffic being reduced to one lane in each direction to accommodate workers.
She said this phase will bring the end of interruptions to commuters on that stretch of road, but the overall project is not yet complete.
“We still have, of course, some finishing touches, things like the landscaping, the signage, the rails on the sidewalk,” Buffat said. “This is the last part that will mean we have to be in the way of travelers.”
Buffat said the project began in March 2024, when ITD started redoing University Boulevard at exit 332 of U.S. Highway 20 and on West Main Street at exit 333, making the intersections into diverging diamond interchanges.
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Over the year, aside from construction being paused during the winter, she said both highways were closed intermittently to allow for the construction to be done.
Buffat said the reason for this inconvenience was to ensure the project was completed within a year, as it was estimated to take two summers to complete otherwise.
“A unique construction schedule, but it did require a pretty good deal of patience on the part of people that use those areas and live in and around Rexburg,” Buffat said.
Buffat said she is hesitant to set a definitive deadline in case any unforeseen issues appear, but estimates that the project will be fully completed within the next month or two.
She said that those at ITD understand how this project has affected the residents and commuters of Rexburg, but appreciate the understanding and patience they have shown over the past year, as well as understanding the new traffic patterns.
“We’re confident that this will serve future generations for a long time to come,” Buffat said. “Thank you very much to the Rexburg community, specifically, but all of eastern Idaho.”