2/10/2014
ITD reminds motorists to use caution in power outages
RIGBY - Since planned work starting tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 11) on critical equipment will make some eastern Idaho areas more susceptible to a power outage, the Idaho Transportation Department reminds motorists of traffic rules in cases of power outages that affect traffic signals.
Rocky Mountain Power will be doing utility work through early March. Work involves the same equipment improvements at the Goshen substation near Firth that were involved in a large outage Dec. 4. In that incident, the company had to temporarily cut off electricity to customers in eastern Idaho to prevent an even bigger outage.
Company officials emphasize that they are taking every precaution to prevent an outage in this case.
However, drivers who encounter inoperable signals should consider intersections as "all-way-stops." All vehicles should come to a complete stop at intersections and proceed in the order they arrive.When two vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, the vehicle to the immediate right has the right-of-way. The transportation department urges motorists to use caution and to exercise patience, especially on slick stretches of highway that lead to intersections.