Eckert Road bridge closes as Boise reconstruction begins

The Eckert Road bridge crossing closed Oct. 12 as the Ada County Highway District began a project to replace two bridges and rebuild the Boise Avenue intersection. Through traffic is restricted between Boise Avenue and Millbrook Way, and drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are being directed to detours.

ACHD says the motor-vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian detours follow routes used during a 2025 interim closure. BoiseDev reported that local traffic can still use Eckert Road between Boise Avenue and Millbrook Way and that ACHD recommends Bown Way for some trips. Barber Park and its parking remain open, according to ACHD.

Two bridges, then a roundabout

The work covers the Eckert Road bridges over the Boise River and Ridenbaugh Canal. The project also includes a single-lane roundabout at Eckert Road and Boise Avenue, reconstruction of roadway approaches, a multi-use pathway, a Greenbelt underpass and modifications to the Barber Park driveway.

ACHD plans to rebuild the bridges first. Work on the intersection is scheduled to follow after the bridges reopen. The district has not announced a firm date for the bridges to reopen, so the overall project estimate should not be read as a bridge-reopening date.

ACHD’s project page lists summer 2028 as the expected completion. In an Oct. 15 report, the Idaho Statesman cited an ACHD spokesperson who gave fall 2028 instead. The two forecasts differ, and neither establishes when the crossing will reopen.

Permit dispute preceded construction

Before work began, the Boise City Council voted 5-1 on Sept. 29 to overturn the Planning and Zoning Commission’s denial of the project’s Boise River System Permit. BoiseDev reported that the council majority concluded the commission had considered roadway-design criteria outside the permit decision’s scope. One council member dissented and raised concerns about identifying trees to preserve.

The permit dispute included concerns about trees slated for removal at Barber Park. ACHD argued that the project met permit requirements. The council’s approval required tree mitigation through replacement caliper inches or a fee, BoiseDev reported.

The Idaho Statesman reported an overall project plan of $33.7 million, with estimates of about $25 million for the Boise River bridge, $4.8 million for the canal bridge and $3.2 million for the roundabout. Those three component figures total $33 million, $700,000 less than the reported overall figure; the report did not explain the difference.

ACHD reported that 183 neighbors attended its construction open house. The attendance figure does not indicate a shared position on the project.