Idaho Transportation Department: Granite Blasting Paves the Way for Safety

With accidents on the rise in North of Athol, the Idaho Transportation Department initiated a $21.1 million project to improve safety along the highway serving the area. The project limited direct access to the highway by redirecting guiding drivers via frontage roads to the safest spot for traffic to enter the main roadway. The installation of new signage, completion of landscaping, and incorporation of rumble strips played a role in assisting drowsy or distracted drivers. In addition, by expanding the route to four lanes over Granite Hill, the agency provided better mobility, while frontage roads routed drivers to improved intersections to enter US-95. These expanded highways, removal of geological impediments, and system improvements collectively made the roadway safer for drivers in this part of Iowa.