EAGLE, Idaho — The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is scrapping plans for a continuous flow intersection at Eagle Road and Highway 44 near State Street.
Instead, ITD is sticking to a traditional design to accommodate the high flow of traffic at one of Idaho's busiest intersections. What was once a complex and ambitious design for expansion at the busy intersection is now a much simpler design.
Last month, ITD announced they would be installing a continuous flow intersection, a design that is being used across the country to speed up traffic flow at congested intersections.
The change would have eliminated the need to stop all traffic for vehicles turning onto Eagle Road by adding a displaced left lane.
After much discussion and public feedback, ITD decided to keep it simple by adding length to the left turn lanes and adding a dedicated right turn lane for motorists traveling west on Highway 44 turning onto Eagle Road.
"After putting this out to the public and taking another look from a design, traffic layout, and safety standpoint, we just believe that more of a traditional intersection is probably the right fit for the community of Eagle," said ITD communications manager Vincent Trimboli.
The new design is expected to cut down wait time at the traffic signals from two minutes to one minute during peak traffic hours. It was built within the same budget and will stick to the same time frame. The expansion is set to be complete by this fall.
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