TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The Idaho Transportation Department is considering a third crossing over the Snake River Canyon due to increasing traffic congestion in and around Twin Falls and Twin Falls County.
On Monday, the department held a public meeting to update the community and gather input as the potential new bridge project gains traction. “It does make you feel like something will be moving sooner rather than later,” said Jan Rogers, Executive Director of Southern Idaho Economic Development.
WATCH: ITD picks 4 potential spots for a third bridge
The Magic Valley is experiencing growth, which is contributing to rising traffic congestion along the Perrine Bridge and Hansen Bridge. “At some point in time, you will not have enough capacity on the Perrine Bridge, so we need to create another alternative,” said Jesse Barrus, ITD District Engineer.
The Idaho Transportation Department is indeed planning for this. In 2024, the agency approved funding to conduct a feasibility study for a new bridge over the canyon. “Is the project feasible, and are there locations along the canyon where a bridge could be built?” Barrus explained.
During the meeting, the department shared the results of their study.
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“We narrowed it down to about four locations: we’re looking at State Highway 46, which is near the Ken Curtis Bridge at Clearlake's grade. There's also a spot on Highway 93, where it bends toward Nevada. We’ve considered a companion bridge near the current Perrine Bridge, and finally, east of the Perrine Bridge, where we found a potential site,” Barrus added.
Jan Rogers expressed her enthusiasm for the strong community turnout at the meeting. “We’ve talked about this for 30 years and have developed many plans over that time. But to see all these plans laid out at once, along with the community's interest, is pretty exciting,” she said.
Although a third Snake River crossing is still years, if not a decade, away from completion, Filer resident Roger Brooks was impressed by the level of community participation at the public meeting. “I think it's great that so many viewpoints are represented, and I was surprised by how many people came out,” Brooks remarked.
With public input now collected, ITD will proceed with the next step: conducting an environmental impact study.
If you would like to review the ITD's feasibility study for the third Snake River crossing, Click Here.
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