EAGLE, IDAHO — Workers up on Highway 55 near Aimor are expressing concerns over erratic drivers who speed through the work zones.
- Workers are seeing drivers drive at excessive speeds through the work zone.
- Workers say this is the most dangerous they have ever seen.
- This project should wrap up in the Fall.
- ITD has many projects planned for the coming months through HWY 55.
- Avimor is working on designing a plan to propose moving HWY 55 over to allow an expansion.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
With construction continuing on Highway 55 near Avimor, workers are getting concerned over erratic drivers. I'm your Eagle neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston and I spoke with ITD about these concerns.
"People's lives are at risk," exclaimed JD Lewelling of ITD.
Workers on Highway 55 near Avimor are expressing their concerns as they continue to work on an overpass connecting Avimor to the land east of the freeway. It's a story that we first explained to you back in December.
RELATED: ITD making it safer for Avimor residents to cross HWY 55
Road flaggers who work for Central Paving tell me they're concerned about erratic and dangerous drivers speeding over the hill and toward the work zone. talking with a few on sight, they said this is the worst they have ever seen.
Lewelling continued, "Take a look there are actually people doing the work. A lot of times it is our flaggers in vulnerable situations and we just want to protect them."
Lewelling says ITD will be working on all sorts of projects on 55 in the coming months. But, with the work zone slowing down traffic, along with the stop light near Avimor's entrance, I spoke with Brad Pfhannmuller about how it has been getting in and out of their community.
Pfannmuller explained, "It backs up quite a bit from the different lights that are out here. I know people are frustrated out there when it comes to parking at our traffic light that we have, but we are trying to eliminate that in the future."
Pfannmuller says Avimor's development team is in the design phase to propose moving Highway 55 farther to the east, building another overpass, and expanding to allow more traffic flow.
"It takes the current two lanes we have out there, and it puts three lanes right at the overpass we would be putting in. It has two through lanes, an acceleration, and a deceleration lane. it's so that people can go from one side of the highway to the other without stopping traffic," said Pfannmuller.
In the meantime, flaggers ask that you keep them in mind as you travel along Highway 55 and other Idaho roads under construction.
"We are just wanting to reiterate as we are in summer, we are in the 100 deadliest days, slow down, pay attention," finished Lewelling.
ITD says the construction on Highway 55 is planned to be finished up near the fall.
