Progress on Dad's at Hitt and Yellowstone

Construction this week at the new home of Dad's Truck Stop, at Hitt Road and U.S. 26

For those of you who haven't been out to this end of town, here's the latest progress from Hitt Road and U.S. 26, where Dad's Travel Center is moving into a new building.

Located on 47 acre, the 3,000-square-foot store is to be a smaller version of what they have south of Idaho Falls at Exit 113, said Kevin Bird, the company's general manager. Doug Andrus had planned to develop the site in 2007, but when the economy went into recession they decided to hold off. Push came to shove, however, as the 10-year lease on the store across the road neared expiration. That was when they decided this year was as good as any to build, Bird said.

The contractor on the project is Bateman-Hall, which just recently completed the new Stinker Station at First Street and Holmes Avenue.

The 11,000-square-foot Dad's south of Idaho Falls is home to Frontier Pies. Bird said they plan to have a food vendor in the new store.