Radioactive Material Shipment to Close Road

RIGBY, Idaho (KLIX) – If you’re heading through eastern Idaho next Wednesday, don’t plan on traveling U.S. Highway 20 during a period of time in the early morning hours.

U.S. Highway 20 west of Idaho Falls will temporarily close next Wednesday, Feb. 22, as a shipment of radioactive material from the Idaho National Laboratory passes through the area.

According to the Idaho Transportation Department, crews will close the highway from 2 a.m. to 2:45 a.m. to facilitate the shipment. The highway will be closed from the entrance of the Materials and Fuels Complex, 28 miles west of Idaho Falls, to the INL access road at the U.S. 20/26 junction.

To help ensure safety, workers also will close U.S. Highway 26 just south of its junction with U.S. 20 and U.S. 20/26 just west of the junction. Motorists should avoid the highways during the Wednesday closure, ITD says.

INL will transport the radioactive material to the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.