Road Construction Between New Meadows and McCall
Driving from Council or New Meadows to McCall these days is taking more time than usual. The Idaho Department of Transportation (ITD) has had two projects ongoing since June between McCall and New Meadows.
The chip and seal project between McCall and New Meadows should be finished soon. The other project, replacing the bridge at Little Goose Creek near the Last Chance Campground turnoff on State Highway 55, won’t be completed until late 2024.
According to the ITD website, ”The bridge had reached the end of its design life.”
Not only are road crews replacing the bridge that goes over Little Goose Creek, but they are also widening shoulders and improving the approach to Last Chance Road. The Last Chance Campground will remain closed during bridge replacement.
There are currently two places where drivers will come to temporary lights. Driving up the canyon there is only one lane open and when the light is red, cars coming from the opposite direction have use of the roadway.
Sometimes, the wait at each of the lights can be as long as 20 minutes.
ITD road crews work from Monday through Thursday and half days on Friday. They do not work on the weekends, but the temporary lights remain working because there is only one drivable lane.
Council Emergency Services said they are still transporting people to the McCall Hospital unless a patient is unstable, in which case they will call in a helicopter.
New Meadows Emergency Services said they have the ability to make a call to a system that monitors the two stop lights when they leave New Meadows, and by the time they get to the first light, it will be green for them, so they continue to transport patients to the McCall Hospital.
