Near misses and illegal U-turns: ITD sees dangerous driving behavior with new traffic changes on US-26
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IDAHO FALLS — As road crews begin to install concrete barriers at the intersection of U.S. Highway 26 and Iona Road in Idaho Falls, the Idaho Transportation Department is reminding drivers to be safe while commuting through the area.
EastIdahoNews.com previously reported that changes were coming to that specific intersection as ITD advances some plans to improve Hitt Road in 2027.
The changes now prohibit commuters from crossing U.S. 26 — Yellowstone Highway — or turning left onto U.S. 26 from Iona Road. This also means no more left or right turns from U.S. 26 to enter Iona Road.
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While the barriers are being installed, U.S. 26 was reduced to one lane in the northbound and southbound lanes, and has reopened to two lanes as crews finish the installation.
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The goal is to improve safety near the intersection of Hitt Road and U.S. 26.
“We’ve gotten a ton of public feedback over the years about safety concerns for this intersection,” ITD spokeswoman Sky Buffat said. “We’ve watched this intersection over the years; it’s easy to see movements that are unsafe, and easy to see the need for this change.”
Buffat said this specific intersection has more crashes than the U.S. 26 intersection at North Woodruff Avenue and Hitt Road, which are main arterial roads in Idaho Falls.
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According to ITD’s Crash Summary Report, that intersection saw 90 crashes from 2021 to 2025, with two resulting in fatalities. Over the four years, crashes did spike, with 2025 seeing 21 crashes.
“So many people out there, us included, have witnessed near-miss incidents, and instead of continuing to do that and deal with it in the future, it’s time to take care of it now,” Buffat said.
On Aug. 31, ITD placed road cones and signage to warn commuters about the changes, but crews have observed illegal maneuvers and, in one case, a destroyed stop sign.
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Early Wednesday morning, a semitruck tore down a stop sign after making a right-hand turn from Iona Road onto US-26. Signage now tells semi-truck drivers that semis are not allowed to make right-hand turns from Iona Road.
ITD has also worked with navigation apps such as Google Maps and Apple Maps to alert drivers to this change.
Other incidents include commuters making illegal U-turns at US-26 to cross to Iona Road when crews first placed the cones. This caused drivers to make U-turns at the entrance of Arnold Machinery Company, but it will now extend past that entrance.
She said that the barriers will go 400 feet from the middle of the intersection north and south to help prevent that illegal maneuver.
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Idaho State Police were monitoring traffic near the intersection while crews were installing the barriers, and signage was posted to deter commuters from performing such actions.
Understanding that this change may frustrate commuters, she thanked drivers for driving safely while the work is ongoing. She said that with the proximity to the intersections of Hitt Road and Woodruff Avenue,
“This change is one that’ll ultimately, next summer, fit very nicely with the changes at Hitt Road,” Buffat said. “It will be a worthwhile positive change in the name of safety.”