CALDWELL, Idaho — Two bridges in Canyon County are seeing upgrades this summer, but they won't be the last.
"We have a 7-year plan on construction across Idaho," said John Tomilson, Idaho Transportation Department spokesperson.
The state of Idaho has almost 5,000 bridges, many are reaching the 50-year mark, and in Canyon County, some are even older.
"Our oldest bridge is, I believe, 103 years old. I believe construction was completed in 1921," said Chris Hopper, Highway District 4 engineer.
Watch to learn more about why the bridge projects are necessary:
Hopper tells me the 114 bridges in this district alone see about 250,000 vehicles every day.
As bridges age, inspections done every one to four years often reveal damage, which is why drivers will soon see road closures for critical repairs on the Karcher and Centennial Way railroad bridges.
"Which is always an inconvenience," said Tomilson, who emphasizes the importance of keeping the community safe.
An inconvenience and a major expense. Tomilson says funding is crucial for both bridge repairs and complete replacements.
"We receive federal funding for bridges as well as state funding.," Tomilson said. "Again, some of it is specific to state bridges and some of it to the local bridges, and that's why it's so key that we are working with our local partners."
"We expect to replace about two bridges a year to keep our inventory," said Hopper.
Hopper says that replacing all Highway District 4 bridges would cost about $48 million — money that's simply not in the budget.
So, they are prioritizing bridges with load restrictions for replacement in the next three to five years.
As for traffic and closures, Hopper understands the frustration, but most bridges they maintain simply weren't designed for today's growing demand.
"So as we see more traffic on the roadway, it's important to widen those out," Hopper said.
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