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Photo courtesy Leo Geis, Idaho Airships

Boise's Broadway Bridge opens Sept. 9 as ceremony welcomes community across new bridge

Just nine months after construction began, Boise’s Broadway Bridge opened to the public Sept. 9. The official opening, hosted by Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) District 3 Board Member Julie DeLorenzo, concluded with dignitaries including ITD Director Brian Ness, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter, Boise State President Dr. Bob Kustra and others pulling barriers on the bridge and opening it to traffic. More than 400 people attended the opening ceremony.

The opening capped off years of extensive planning, collaboration, communication and outreach, and is a milestone for anyone who lives, works or travels in Idaho’s capitol city.

“Safety, mobility and economic opportunity embody ITD’s mission. Completing a project of this magnitude in nine months is a testament to the efficiency and innovative nature of our ITD staff,” said ITD Director Brian Ness. "They were challenged to have this bridge open for business by the first week of September, and they met that challenge.”

The previous structure, built in 1956, no longer met today’s safety and design standards. The new four-span bridge includes three travel lanes in each direction, full sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the bridge, curved railing with night lighting, and belvederes that overlook the river. In addition, upgrades to the Greenbelt that run under the bridge and roadway improvements between University Avenue and Front Streets along Broadway, were completed as part of this $20-million project. Knife River Corporation was the prime contractor.

“In Boise, our main transportation focus is finding ways to provide real transportation choices to our residents,” said Boise Mayor David Bieter. “This project is a perfect example of how we work with our transportation partners to build infrastructure that allows pedestrians, bicycles and cars to use our roadways safely and effectively. Kudos to Director Ness and all of the team at ITD for such a successful project.”

Pictured left: Emcee Julie DeLorenzo signifies just nine months of closure.

In an effort to minimize impacts during construction, an extensive public-involvement process successfully brought together stakeholders from across many spectrums of the community years before actual construction began. Close collaboration with the city of Boise, Boise State University, citizens and other stakeholders, resulted in the final bridge design. The decision to close the bridge and build a new one in nine months, compared to leaving it open and having construction take up to two years, was based on feedback from citizens who participated in the outreach process. Communication with the business community and the public was a cornerstone before and during construction itself.

“The Chamber appreciates the patience and the collaboration that the affected businesses demonstrated during construction of the new Broadway Bridge,” said Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bill Connors. “We also want to thank the Chamber’s Ambassadors, the Small Business Advisory Council, and the Idaho Transportation Department for working together to provide support to the Broadway businesses during the construction period. Now that the bridge is open, we encourage the community to visit these businesses often.”

With close proximity to Idaho’s governmental and financial center, as well as medical and educational campuses, Boise State’s president weighed in on enhanced mobility around the university campus and downtown, made possible in part by the new Broadway Bridge.

"A state-of-the-art bridge that keeps vehicles, bikes and pedestrians moving seamlessly and safely to both sides of the river is essential to the future of Boise State University and Boise's growing downtown. Our metropolitan university is inexorably intertwined with the health care, high tech, government and cultural centers just blocks away, and the connectivity this new infrastructure provides helps ensure that the city and its university will continue to be a national leader in growth and innovation."

Safety is ITD’s highest priority. Even after today's opening, some final construction activities will continue near the bridge. ITD reminds drivers to slow down, pay attention and allow extra time when traveling in the area.

Here's a link to a good article from the Idaho Statesman and reporter Anna Webb about Ken Clausen, the recently deceased original bridge designer on the project.

Pictured right: ITD Director Brian Ness addresses the crowd at the event.