Dust Halts Traffic Again On U.S. 20

Dust clouds producing zero visibility caused the closure of U.S. Highway 20 west of Idaho Falls for two hours Thursday night, and highway officials say motorists can expect more of the same.

A nearby fire stripped vegetation from 20,000 acres of land at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, the biggest range fire at the facility in more than 10 years.

Ed Bala, assistant district engineer for the Department of Transportation, said the fire left little to hold dirt or ashes to the ground.

Since the fire last month, the road has been closed five times. Generally, traffic is rerouted over U.S. Highway 26. Thursday, INEL buses took a detour though Blackfoot, adding 30 minutes to the trip, said INEL representative Isabel Valle.