Silver Bridge discussed heavily at open house
Photo by Josh McDonald/ The Silver Bridge over the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River is scheduled to be fully replaced next year. The bridge has stood in place for 94 years and can only handle the weight of a standard passenger vehicle.
KELLOGG –– Three upcoming bridge projects in Shoshone County were discussed during a recent open house.
Shoshone County Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke took the brunt of the comments and questions specifically for the Silver Bridge project.
The other projects, the Two Mile Bridge in Osburn and the Bunker Avenue Bridge in Kellogg weren’t widely discussed but remain on schedule to begin in March 2025.
The Silver Bridge, which crosses the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River and conjoins the Old River Road with Coeur d’Alene River Road, was originally scheduled to begin construction in September of this year, but that has been pushed back due to several issues.
Several popular camping spots along Old River Rd. are accessed via the Silver Bridge, but when the bridge is replaced, people will be forced to access these sites by using the Bumblebee cutoff, approximately four miles north of the Silver Bridge.
Stutzke explained that Old River Road is currently in poor condition, which was concerning due to the level of expected annual traffic. In turn, the county will use this summer construction season to repair the road to ensure it can handle the traffic.
“We did answer a few questions about the condition of Old River Road, and whether or not the roadway in its existing condition would handle the detour traffic,” Stutzke said. “Even though the construction for the bridge has been pushed back, the surface improvements to Old River Road will still take place this summer. Once the improvements are complete, the road will be suitable for detour traffic.”
Beyond these concerns, the historic nature of the bridge has been a common topic with many people – specifically the design of the new bridge.
“There was also some slight disappointment that the bridge would not look exactly like the old bridge,” Stutzke said. “Unfortunately, building a bridge to look exactly the same is not feasible for different reasons, such as cost and current bridge building standards.”
The current metal truss structure is a popular jump-off point for local swimmers and thrill seekers.
The other major topic Stutzke addressed was the bridge’s width and ability to accommodate traffic.
The current bridge is very narrow, allowing a single car to drive across it, with minimal clearance on each side.
According to Stutzke, the new structure will be 22 feet wide, with a 12-foot driving lane and five-foot shoulders on each side to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Construction on the Silver Bridge will begin in August 2026.
The projects are anticipated to cost $11.2 million and are being funded through Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho plan. The Leading Idaho Plan was designed as a state-funded program to fix older, load-restricted bridges. $400 million in state surplus dollars was allocated to the program.