A significant infrastructure improvement project kicked off Monday in downtown Idaho Falls, bringing new streetlights, upgraded sidewalks, and underground electrical work to two of the city’s most-traveled corridors. The effort, a joint undertaking between the City of Idaho Falls and the Idaho Transportation Department, is expected to run through late October.
Work is concentrated along two routes: the U.S. 26 Business Loop, also known as the Yellowstone Highway, stretching from Sunnyside Road to the Yellowstone Underpass, and Broadway Street from its intersection with U.S. 26 to the Broadway Bridge. Both corridors see heavy daily traffic from commuters, pedestrians, and visitors navigating the heart of Idaho Falls.
What Workers Are Installing
The project encompasses several construction components aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure. Crews will install new streetlight poles and luminaires, lay underground electrical utilities, build new foundations for the light structures, and make sidewalk improvements throughout the project zone. The combined upgrades are designed to improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians by enhancing nighttime visibility along these busy downtown stretches.
Some of the more involved installation work — particularly the erection and placement of streetlight poles — is scheduled during nighttime hours to reduce disruption to daytime traffic flow. The bulk of construction activity, however, will take place on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with some Saturday work also planned as the project progresses.
Traffic Impacts to Expect This Summer
Drivers and pedestrians moving through the affected corridors should plan for periodic single-lane closures and traffic shifts throughout the construction period. While the project is not expected to fully close either roadway, lane reductions can slow travel times, particularly during mid-morning and early afternoon hours when construction activity is at its peak.
Residents and commuters familiar with the area know that downtown Idaho Falls already sees significant congestion during summer months, when foot traffic and tourism along the Snake River greenbelt and surrounding commercial districts reach their seasonal highs. The timing of work hours — mid-morning to mid-afternoon on weekdays — is intended to avoid the busiest commute windows.
This project joins a broader wave of infrastructure activity reshaping east Idaho roadways this summer. Resurfacing work on U.S. 20 between Idaho Falls and Rigby is nearing completion, and traffic signal upgrades at a South Idaho Falls intersection have also kept crews busy in recent weeks. Taken together, the projects reflect a concentrated push to modernize transportation infrastructure across Bonneville County before winter weather halts outdoor construction.
Safety and Long-Term Benefits
The primary goals of the downtown lighting project are practical: better-lit streets reduce accident risk at night, improve pedestrian safety along sidewalks, and create more visible crossings for foot traffic in a high-density urban area. Sidewalk improvements will also make the corridors more accessible and navigable year-round, particularly along routes that connect residential neighborhoods to downtown businesses and the Broadway Bridge crossing.
The partnership between the city and the state transportation department signals a coordinated investment in the downtown core, where aging light poles and uneven sidewalk conditions have long drawn attention from residents and business owners alike. Upgrading underground electrical infrastructure also positions the corridor for future improvements without requiring another round of major excavation.
Both agencies have not released a detailed cost figure publicly, but the scope of the work — spanning multiple blocks across two corridors with underground utility components — suggests a substantial capital investment in the city’s central infrastructure.
What Comes Next
Construction is projected to wrap up by late October 2026, giving the project team roughly three months to complete all phases before winter conditions arrive. Motorists and pedestrians are encouraged to allow extra travel time when passing through the U.S. 26 Business Loop and Broadway Street corridors on weekdays. Updates on lane closures and construction schedules can be expected from the City of Idaho Falls and the Idaho Transportation Department as work advances through the summer and into the fall.