The Idaho Transportation Department is resuming construction on SH-55 between Smiths Ferry and the Rainbow Bridge on March 14. The stretch of highway will be reduced to one-way alternating traffic. Drivers should anticipate 15-minute delays.

In mid-April, ITD will begin four-hour closures from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Construction on Highway 55 near Smiths Ferry has been ongoing since September 2020. Crews are working to widen shoulders, install guardrails, and minimize roadway curves.

The project area has been the site of three rockslides. In January 2021, two rockslides closed the roadway for about three weeks. In January 2022, another rockslide closed the road for several days.

“We are going into spring with lessons learned from last year,” said Jason Brinkman, ITD engineering manager. “We have spent the past winter working with geotechnical experts and the project team to change designs based on new information gathered after studying the areas where slides occurred.”

The spring construction schedule is expected to last through May.