Friday after discovering that the bridge had deteriorated more than previously known. ACHD plans to begin working toward a full removal and replacement of the bridge, he said. He said he also would contact the school district to coordinate bus routes. The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists, ACHD said in a press release.
The bridge connects the Boise River Greenbelt, which runs on both sides of the river west of the bridge and only the north side to the east. According to Head, the agency inspects bridges every two years, with more in-depth evaluations for concept studies before beginning projects. The last time the agency did an in-depth evaluation on the Eckert bridge was five years ago. The latest assessment found moderate to severe decay on 22 of 48 bridge pillars, according to the press release.
On the center pier, five of the six timber piles showed severe decay. The emergency declaration, Head said, will move the timeline up. Commissioner Kent Goldthorpe said the agency needed to treat the closure with the same urgency as when the Cloverdale Bridge over Interstate 84 closed following a deadly crash in The Idaho Transportation Department inspected the bridge during the closure and found it unsafe for vehicles, according to prior Idaho Statesman reporting.
Some of the commissioners questioned where the money would come from for the replacement. There could be issues with moving funds from projects that have already started, they said. Commissioner Patricia Nilsson recommended that the agency may want to reach out to Idaho Rep. In Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico, some residents say drug-fueled violence has gotten so bad that they would welcome U. President Donald Trump's proposal for the U.
Trump has said that he would consider some form of U. In New Jersey, a session at Rutgers University catering to students from historically Black colleges had to be abruptly canceled.
