Aht’Wy Interchange opens to traffic today
Feature expected to make travel safer near Clearwater River Casino
After years of planning and 18 months of construction, the Aht’Wy Interchange near the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge will open to traffic today.
The Idaho Transportation Department made that announcement in a news release Friday.
The interchange was designed to make the stretch of U.S. Highway 95/12 near the casino more safe. There have been nine fatalities in that area since 2004, the most recent of which occurred in late August, according to past Tribune reporting.
“This interchange is an outstanding solution for enhancing safety, and I am so excited to see it in action soon,” ITD project manager Zach Feist said in the news release. “I believe many Idahoans will not only feel safer but will experience improved mobility when traveling through the area.”
Work at the west entrance near the Nez Perce Express will continue, according to ITD, and that entrance will be fully closed to traffic from the highway.
The closure will allow workers to modify the intersection so northbound travelers can turn right off the highway into the plaza. That work is expected to be completed in mid-December.
When completed, drivers will not be able to access the highway from the western entrance at all and will need to use the new interchange to get back on the highway.
