BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
This year’s phase of Ketchum road construction stretches from 4th to 6th Street and began on April 7. This particular stretch will be completed by July 3.
Hello Fourth of July!
“This is not an expansion project,” Daniel Hansen, Ketchum’s construction project manager, explains. “The road has failed. The infrastructure under it is deteriorating. We’re rebuilding from the ground up.”
It’s part of a larger, multi-year effort in coordination with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), aimed at revitalizing not just Main Street, but the full route that connects Elkhorn to River Street — and beyond. And yes, that construction south of town? It’s all connected. That section, led by the ITD, is set to run through the rest of this year and next.
To avoid a bottleneck nightmare — a total closure from Elkhorn Road all the way to 6th Street — the City of Ketchum proactively pushed to take the lead on this segment of the project.
“We coordinated with ITD a couple of years ago,” Hansen says. “We said, let us handle the city section in 2024 before they start the highway improvements to the south. That way, we don’t lock up the entire corridor all at once.”
Clearly, navigating downtown right now requires some patience.
The construction is a full rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. While there are no immediate plans to widen the roadway, the intersection at 6th Street — where the road splits toward Highway 75 or veers into Warm Springs — is being redesigned for improved safety.
Rest assured, Ketchum is absolutely open for business. Espresso flows, there’s art to be seen, and the storefronts are open.
“We can’t stress this enough,” Hansen said. “All businesses along Main are open. Access is maintained. Please continue to support our local shops and restaurants — they’re carrying on as usual.”
This stretch of construction is being managed with a commitment to minimize disruption. Hansen emphasized that the project will involve “broken closures,” not full shutdowns, meaning certain sections may be inaccessible at times, but the entire corridor won’t be blocked off all at once. In other words: Business is open, damn the roadblocks!
Still, for anyone who’s spent five minutes trying to cross town during lunchtime lately, it’s fair to feel a bit weary. Sidewalks have been rerouted. Parking has shifted. Side streets may be more crowded than usual. But, it’s spring and we just had the entire world here for the World Cup.
It’s worth remembering: These are the growing pains of a blossoming town that refuses to let its foundations crumble.
Ketchum, like the road itself, has weathered so many storms, hot to cold to hot to cold, including economic downturns from five years ago. If we’ve learned anything, it’s how to adapt.
The streets are torn up, the detours are real, and it might feel like déjà vu from last summer. But as we’ve always done here in the Valley, we’ll keep showing up for our friends, our commitment to community and local goodness.
When all is said and done, this isn’t about construction, It’s about keeping the path clear — for safety, sustainability, and the future of a town that grows and adapts.
May we walk together. Park, have a coffee and macaroon at Hank & Sylvie’s and pop into The Goldmine for a surprising thrift experience. It’s all good.
As we grow, we further our wholeness.
The official resource for all Ketchum construction news can be found, updated daily, at https://www.projectketchum.org/main-street/
