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Flaggers to assist motorists at Idaho 55 and Banks-Lowman highway

If holiday plans include a trip on Idaho 55, ITD asks drivers to avoid the period of heaviest traffic by traveling outside peak travel times or using alternate routes.

Flaggers will help with traffic flow through the Idaho 55 junction at the Banks-to-Lowman Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. Anticipating that many travelers will take an extended vacation over the weekend, electronic message boards and flaggers in that corridor will be used Monday (May 26) starting at 10 a.m. to help move traffic smoothly. Flaggers will remain in place until 7 p.m., or earlier if traffic on the Banks-Lowman highway can safely enter Idaho 55 without aid.

An ITD Incident Response vehicle also will be stationed at the junction.

Since 1995, ITD has assisted motorists over the longer Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day holiday weekends at the heavily traveled junction.
"Congestion is heaviest in this area, as travelers from the Garden Valley area access Idaho 55," ITD Maintenance Engineer Michael Garz said. "We want everyone to have a safe and fun trip."

During holiday weekends, significantly more vehicles travel on those roads as compared to the average day.

About three times as much traffic travels on Idaho 55 than on the Banks-to-Lowman highway, so the flaggers maintain that same 3-to-1 ratio in terms of traffic delays: 30-minute delays on the Banks-to-Lowman highway and 10 minutes on Idaho 55.

The transportation department offers the following tips for holiday weekend travelers:

Congestion usually is heaviest on the last afternoon of the holiday weekend, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Consider returning from your trip before or after that time to avoid the rush.
Consider using an alternate route. To use U.S. 95, travel north on Idaho 55 from McCall, take U.S. 95 south and use Interstate 84 to return to the Treasure Valley. This route may take less time than using Idaho 55 on a congested day. Recreationalists leaving the Garden Valley area might consider using Idaho 21 to return to the Treasure Valley.
If you choose to use Idaho 55 when congestion is heaviest, be patient and plan an extra hour or two for the return trip.