KUNA, Idaho — Kuna neighbors who have spent years waiting at train crossings could see that change under a proposed Ada County Highway District project that would carry traffic over the railroad tracks at Swan Falls Road.
Long freight trains regularly stop traffic in Kuna, often creating lengthy backups throughout the city.
“Sometimes it can stop for a significant amount of time and gridlock the city,” said Stihles Clark, who lives on Swan Falls Road.
Clark is also ACHD's senior project manager overseeing plans for a new overpass project in Kuna.
“It stops the town at least once an hour, it feels like,” Clark said. “You’re sitting here for sometimes 30-40 minutes waiting for the train.”
WATCH: Learn what the overpass project on Swan Falls Road could look like
The proposed project would replace the existing bridge over Indian Creek and eliminate the at-grade railroad crossing at Swan Falls Road.
“We are planning to widen the roadway here from Avalon to Stagecoach to four lanes. We’re going to have two intersections at both ends, and the structure will also include multi-use pathways,” Clark said.
The project would also improve emergency access for first responders. Kuna Fire sometimes gets stuck by trains blocking crossings, delaying their response time to the south side of the tracks.
That was a big consideration taken into consideration when deciding where they wanted to build Kuna Fire's new Station 2.
RELATED: New Kuna Fire Station 2 starts to take shape on the south side of town
According to ACHD, the new overpass would stand at least 30 feet above the railroad tracks, allowing trains to pass underneath while traffic continues to move across Swan Falls Road.
ACHD recently received a $2.5 million grant to design the crossing. The complex project must account for many factors, including three railroad tracks, Indian Creek, Kuna’s Greenbelt and connections to existing roadways.
“This is just a big step to help alleviate some of that congestion,” Clark said.
ACHD has three years to complete the design phase of the project. Once the design is finished, the agency plans to present the proposal to the public and gather feedback before moving forward.
This will likely be a very expensive bridge project — ACHD plans to seek federal grant funding once the design is finalized.
You can learn more about ACHD's five-year plan here.
