Monday marked the groundbreaking event for a $112 million project to overhaul the Pocatello-Chubbuck area’s “Flying Y” interchange.

The project described by the Idaho Transportation Department as a “massive undertaking” is expected to be complete by the fall of 2025, will bring much-needed safety improvements and connect the Portneuf Greenway Foundation’s trail from the Pocatello Creek Road area to the Portneuf Wellness Complex and Event Center.

“What’s important to the people of Idaho is we are doing the right thing, for the right reason for the long term,” said Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who spoke at the event. “The most important thing about this is we did it without raising taxes, or in the case of the federal government, building on the debt that our children and grandchildren will have to finance. For Idaho citizens, the most important commodity is their time. Anything you can do first for safety and second for maintenance and to add more time to the citizens of Idaho is a good thing for this generation and the next.”

The Flying Y interchange was first built six decades ago and the design needs an update to “handle greater traffic volumes and to replace aging bridges that are reaching the end of their life,” ITD said in a press release issued last month.

The project is the first major undertaking of the Leading Idaho Local Bridge Program. Little and the Idaho Legislature decided to tackle the state’s deferred maintenance backlog to preserve and restore our existing transportation infrastructure, which included a cash transfer of $200 million as the first installment on an ongoing investment package to address road and bridge deferred maintenance. Funding is split between the state ($120 million) and local governments ($80 million).

Idaho has 966 local bridges, including the Flying Y interchange, that are more than 50 years old, and many that are closed or have restrictions that impede commerce. The Leading Idaho Local Bridge Program in two years’ time should see the repair or replacement of two-thirds of Idaho’s aging or dilapidated bridges.

“With the recommendation of the board and the help of the Legislature, we are putting in a third of our bridges,” Little said. “We are doing one-third this year and another one-third next year and will hopefully get caught up (on our aging bridge infrastructure).”

Preliminary work on the project to reconstruct the Flying Y interchange connecting Interstates 15 and 86 has begun, and contractor Sundt-Cannon has started to move equipment into the area.

“When completed, approximately 900,000 cubic yards of excavation will be completed,” ITD wrote in the press release issued last month. “In addition, about 225,000 tons of base material will be brought in; 111,000 tons of asphalt will be placed; and over 6,500 cubic yards of concrete will be poured. About 70,000 square feet of retaining walls will also be built throughout the project area. Finally, ITD will build eight new bridges. Four of those will use precast concrete girders and four will have steel girders. In all, nearly 5,000,000 pounds of steel will be used in the bridges. Crews will work year-round for approximately three years to complete the project.”

Thiago Bezerra, Sundt’s senior project manager, said the Flying Y interchange will involve numerous sub-contractors, adding that ITD has been a great partner in helping to alleviate any expected supply chain shortages that could delay the project.

“This will be a huge project, not only by Sundt and our joint venture partners but also an army of subcontractors that are both local and out of state who will help us build this monumental project,” Bezerra said. “This is among our larger projects so we are definitely being cautious to bring our A-team and the right resources to make sure we deliver correctly. With our best network of suppliers and vendors from previous projects we are able to leverage those relationships to help this project out. ITD has been a great partner in helping us mitigate some of the challenges with supply chain issues and labor shortages.”

Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, joined Little, ITD Director Steve Stokes and former legislator and current District 5 ITD board member Dwight Horsch in providing those attending the groundbreaking with some brief remarks before the shovels full of earth were overturned.

“This is a historic investment for our state,” Manwaring said. “This interchange system is for our state, but specifically for Pocatello and Chubbuck and the people in our community who get on this interchange almost daily if not multiple times in a day. This is one of the most important interchanges in the state of Idaho.”

He continued, “This is where two interstates meet together and what we call the ‘Flying Y,’ but it’s really the gateway. It’s the gateway leading north to Yellowstone National Park, south to Salt Lake City and west to Boise and onward from there. It’s a special spot with a lot of traffic in and out of our state and in our cities between those in our community. We are excited that we get to begin this much-needed project.”

ITD says in the next week or so there will be a detour for motorists traveling on I-15 northbound onto I-86 westbound. The detour will take travelers through the Northgate Interchange, then back onto I-15 South and then onto I-86 West.

Around the same time, the Chubbuck Road overpass bridge will be closed and its traffic will be detoured through the Northgate Interchange. The bridge will be closed for the duration of the Flying Y project. ITD says the new Chubbuck Road design, which will go under Interstate-15 instead of over, will be much safer and easier to navigate.

“This is awesome,” said Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad. “It’s going to be kind of a pain for a few years with the road closures and detours, but it’s going to be amazing when it’s all said and done. It’s neat to see the state spend some money here. This is a dangerous interchange right now and so it will be nice to see this fixed and work the way that it should. I am excited that ITD took this project on and that the governor is willing to put his stamp of approval on it as this is a much needed improvement to our interstate system here in Pocatello.”

Little added, “We’ll have that orange barrel rodeo that will take place for quite a while and there will be detours one way and detours another but that’s why we plan so much for something like this. You want to keep everyone safe and you want to have the minimum amount of disruptions for businesses and people commuting. But in the end, guaranteed, it will be worth it. And a little patience will be helpful.”