Bridge projects to be discussed at open house
The Silver Bridge is one of three Shoshone County bridges that are set to be replaced as part of the Leading Idaho Plan. The bridge was put under a strict 3-ton weight restriction in 2020.
File Photo
KELLOGG –– The Local Highway Technical Assitance Council (LHTAC) will host an open house this week to discuss three upcoming bridge projects.
The open house is the rescheduling of an event that LHTAC had tried to have in January of this year, but was canceled due to a severe snowstorm that rolled through the area. Representatives from both Shoshone County and Kellogg’s Public Works departments will be on hand to answer questions and hear concerns from the community.
The three projects are all bridges that span over the Coeur D’Alene River; Including the Bunker Avenue Bridge in Kellogg, the Two-Mile Road Bridge near Osburn, and the historic Silver Bridge near Albert’s Landing – All three of these bridges will be completely replaced.
The Bunker Avenue Bridge, built in 1971, recently received near-unanimous “poor” ratings during its annual inspection.
The Two-Mile Road Bridge, built in 1966, has slightly better ratings than the Bunker Ave. Bridge, but this is largely due to recent repairs that were completed to make the bridge passable.
“These rebuilt bridges may take some time, but they will certainly be worth the wait,” city of Kellogg Public Works Director Mike Fitzgerald said previously. “Our project team is full of skilled professionals who only deliver the best work.”
The historic Silver Bridge has served as the unofficial gateway to the North Fork area of Shoshone County, but the bridge itself is more decorative than functional at this point. In 2020, the bridge received a 2 out of 9 on its annual inspection and had its load limit reduced to 6,000 pounds – barely enough to allow an empty full-sized pickup truck to traverse it.
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.
“The reconstruction of these bridges will improve the safety of the local transportation network,”
Shoshone County Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke said. “And these improvements will be a huge benefit for residents and businesses alike.”
The open house will be Thursday, May 30, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Scout House in Kellogg’s City Park.