McArthur Lake safety project starts Monday

On Monday, May 22, construction will start on U.S. 95 near McArthur Lake to reconstruct the highway and adjust sharp curves.

Plans call for one mile of U.S. 95 to be realigned to soften curves and for the small box culvert to be replaced with a longer bridge. The south end of the bridge will be shifted to the east approximately 50 feet, and crews will remove dirt and other material from underneath the bridge to provide better clearance for wildlife passage.

Additionally, more than one-half mile on each side of the highway will be fenced to help funnel wildlife to the bridge for a safe crossing within the project limits.

“In this half-mile stretch of highway, 51 wildlife mortalities have been documented in the past decade, with many more going unreported,” said Norm Merz, the regional wildlife habitat manager with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “The replacement of the box culvert with a bridge and funnel fencing will allow wildlife to access habitat on both sides of the highway while reducing the risk of auto-wildlife collisions.”

Safety improvements will take two years to complete. For the first month, flaggers will intermittently stop traffic on U.S. 95 as crews remove part of the existing highway. The contractor will also begin building a temporary two-lane road around the work zone to allow traffic to flow smoothly until construction is finished in the fall of 2024.

Drivers should check 511.idaho.gov before traveling to plan ahead for any delays from work zones.