American Falls

Business Loop I-86 provides access to American Falls as I-86/U.S. 30 bypass the city to the south. The 5.34 mile long route overtakes the former northern extent of Idaho State Highway 37 along a frontage road east from Exit 36. Diverging from the freeway, Business Loop I-86 takes Lincoln Street and Fort Hall Avenue (old U.S. 30N) to the American Falls city center.

There the business route turns west onto Idaho Street (old SH 39) to span a set of Union Pacific Railroad tracks and intersect SH 39. SH 39 and Business Loop I-39 encircle the north side of American Falls to Pocatello Avenue. A short distance east of there is the joint end point for the highways at Exit 40 and Lakeview Road (old U.S. 30N).

Historically, old U.S. 30N took a slightly different course than Business Loop I-86. Whereas Business Loop I-86 turns left at Idaho Street in Downtown American Falls, old U.S. 30N (later U.S. 30 when U.S. 30S was eliminated in 1972) followed Fort Hall Avenue east one more block, then turned south on Harrison Street and southeast on Pocatello Avenue toward a rendezvous with SH 39. This old alignment is no longer state maintained, as SH 39 bypasses American Falls alongside Business Loop I-86.