A year ago, the Eckert Road Bridge over the Boise River was on the verge of collapse. Now, the Ada County Highway District has preliminary designs for a set of new roads and a tentative timeline for the estimated $30 million project near Barber Park in southeast Boise.
ACHD unveiled plans this month to build two new bridges and a roundabout at South Eckert Road, with groundbreaking expected in October 2026, senior project manager Stephanie Tanis said in an interview with the Idaho Statesman on Wednesday. Complete construction will be done in phases and take one to two years, she said.
The centerpiece of the project is a newer, wider and stronger concrete bridge over the Boise River. Spokeswoman Rachel Bjornestad said the existing span, set on wooden piers, predates ACHD’s founding in 1971 by decades. In January, she said, an ITD inspection found “moderate to severe rot” on 22 of the 48 support piles; at the time, engineers estimated the bridge’s maximum weight could be 3 tons, equivalent to the weight of an F-250.
ACHD plans to replace the bridge on South Eckert Road in 2026. This preliminary rendering shows a repurposed two-pier concrete bridge over the Boise River.
The investigation prompted an emergency closure of the bridge to cars and trucks until early March while road reinforcements began. The section of road has since been opened to traffic and has passed regular inspections, Bjornestad said.
Tanis said that while the severity of the deterioration was surprising, ACHD was already considering the scope of replacing the aging bridge.
“The original plan was to complete the project, but based on our findings and the emergency closure, we have significantly accelerated the timeline,” Tanis said.
Split screen shows the current bridge on South Eckert Road (left) and an early rendering of the replacement bridge (right).
Boise Bridge project includes bicycle, pedestrian improvements
Tanis hopes the new infrastructure will shore up the waterway, alleviate growing traffic problems and improve safety near the busy entrance to Barber Park.
Tannis said some details — namely aesthetics — are still negotiable. But the final plan will almost certainly include:
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Adding a center turn lane to bridges over the Boise River and the smaller parallel Ridenberg Canal.
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Single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Eckert Road and Boise Avenue.
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The entrance to Barber Park is wider.
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Wider bike lanes and pedestrian paths.
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An underground passage connecting access to the larger Boise Greenbelt near the city’s upcoming Alta Harris Park.
Tanis said state funds will pay for the Boise River bridge portion of the project. She said that while an “early, early” price estimate for the three-pronged project is about $30 million, ACHD won’t know the true cost until the program goes out to bid in 2026.
Once the realigned two-pier bridge is in service, ACHD aims to work with other agencies to restore riparian habitat, including surrounding wetlands and conservation easements.
Preliminary renderings of a roundabout at the intersection of Eckert Road and Boise Avenue in the Ada County Highway District. ACHD officials said the plan is intended to improve safety and reduce congestion.
As things stand, ACHD plans to close the Boise River Bridge and Boise Avenue intersection during construction, Tanis said. The closure is expected to save $3 million in construction costs and shorten construction time by eight months, according to the ACHD website for the project. Next year’s detour is expected to mirror the 2025 closure, directing traffic to the East Park Center Avenue Bridge.
Barber Park, a popular spot for floating tubers and fishermen, will remain open throughout the work, ACHD said.
