BLACKFOOT — A catastrophic collision between a milk tanker truck and a freeway bridge pillar has left Interstate 15 crippled and a major overpass severely damaged.
But Idaho Transportation Department crews are working quickly to complete emergency repairs to get traffic moving again.
The indefinite closure of both Interstate 15 and the Riverton Road overpass in Blackfoot occurred after a 46-year-old Jerome man driving a white 2026 Kenworth towing an empty milk tanker veered off the left side of the freeway’s southbound lanes and slammed into a pillar supporting the overpass around 8:47 p.m. Thursday, according to Idaho State Police.
The driver suffered serious injuries in the violent impact and was airlifted via emergency helicopter from the scene to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. Authorities have not released his name or provided an update on his condition.
The collision compromised the structural integrity of the Riverton Road overpass, forcing authorities to immediately shut down both the overpass bridge and freeway below. Photos provided by the Idaho Transportation Department revealed the devastating scope of the damage — a nearly severed concrete bridge pillar precariously keeping the overpass from collapsing.
Now, Idaho Transportation Department crews are working around the clock in a desperate push to temporarily shore up the damaged bridge and get at least some traffic flowing again. Officials are targeting mid-morning Saturday to reopen Interstate 15 with emergency single-lane traffic in each direction on the northbound side of the freeway.
“We have been working around the clock to restore the flow of traffic,” ITD District Engineer Todd Hubbard said. “Early next week, we hope to have traffic restored to proper lanes. Southbound I-15 will be reduced to one lane until a permanent fix can be made.”
The temporary fix will mean slower speeds and delays as thousands of vehicles squeeze daily through the emergency configuration.
The overpass bridge suffered severe structural damage that forced its immediate closure for safety reasons. The extent, cost and timeline of permanent repairs remain unknown — leaving motorists facing weeks or potentially months of disruption on one of Idaho’s most critical transportation arteries.
Until the freeway reopens, motorists are being detoured at Interstate 15 exits 89 and 93, creating traffic congestion through Blackfoot as vehicles are forced onto U.S. Highway 91 and the freeway’s business loop.
State police are urgently warning drivers to check 511.idaho.gov for the latest traffic conditions and brace for significant delays in the Blackfoot area.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Idaho State Police are being assisted at the scene by the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, Blackfoot Police Department, Blackfoot Fire Department and Idaho Transportation Department.