The Idaho Transportation Board has approved nearly $5 million to advance the federal environmental review process for a proposed third river crossing in Twin Falls, pushing total authorized funding for the project past $7 million and marking a significant milestone in a decades-long effort to address congestion in the Magic Valley.
The funding, approved Thursday, will support completion of the National Environmental Policy Act process — known as NEPA — for the Third River Crossing Study. Once complete, the environmental review will produce an Environmental Impact Statement that formally evaluates crossing options and sets the stage for site selection.
Engineers and Community Members See Momentum
District 4 Engineer Jesse Barrus called the board’s action a major step forward for a project that has long been a priority for regional planners and local officials.
“This is a huge step in this process and we are excited to keep this project moving forward,” Barrus was quoted as saying.
With funding now secured, the Idaho Transportation Department and the Magic Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization can fully evaluate the options outlined in last year’s feasibility study and move toward identifying a preferred location. The ITD has a two-year window to complete the NEPA study and publish the Environmental Impact Statement, with additional public outreach and community meetings expected throughout that process.
The need for a third crossing has been discussed for decades. Twin Falls currently relies on two aging rim-to-rim bridges across the Snake River Canyon — the Perrine Bridge and a second span — both of which show increasing wear. Growing traffic volumes, more commercial truck traffic, and recurring safety concerns have intensified calls for a new crossing.
Business Community Divided on Location, Unified on Need
Not everyone is enthusiastic about every potential route. Tony Prater, chief executive of Jensen Jewelers, acknowledged that the congestion bottleneck at Blue Lakes Boulevard and Pole Line Road demands a solution — but expressed concern that a new crossing could pull traffic and customers away from downtown Twin Falls businesses.
“If there’s a third bridge, more business will move out to where the third bridge comes across, which will siphon off people from coming through downtown on their way to Nevada,” Prater said.
One of the candidate locations under study would connect the Jerome area to U.S. Highway 93, a corridor that could relieve pressure on existing crossings but would also redirect traffic patterns across the region. Prater’s concern reflects a broader tension between infrastructure capacity and the economic health of established commercial districts.
Retired power plant worker Art Baikie offered a more straightforward assessment, pointing to rush-hour conditions on the Perrine Bridge as evidence that delay is no longer an option.
“Perrine Bridge is overloaded right now. Too much traffic, especially during rush hour,” Baikie said. “We’ve got to have another bridge, without a doubt.”
The board also approved a separate allocation of approximately $41,500 for geotechnical drilling monitoring along Idaho Highway 50 between Red Cap Corner and Interstate 84. That project involves evaluating safety improvements along the corridor and includes design work for widening or replacing the Hansen Bridge upstream.
What Comes Next
The ITD and the Magic Valley MPO will now proceed with the full NEPA review, using the framework established by last year’s feasibility study to narrow down site alternatives. Public meetings are expected as the agencies work toward publishing a final Environmental Impact Statement within the two-year window authorized by the board’s action.
Once a preferred site is selected, the project would move into preliminary engineering and design — steps that typically precede a funding request for construction. Given the scale of a river canyon crossing, construction costs would likely reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars, meaning additional state and federal funding authorization would be required before any ground is broken.
For Twin Falls County residents frustrated by daily congestion on Blue Lakes Boulevard and the Perrine Bridge, Thursday’s vote represents the clearest signal yet that a third crossing has moved from wish list to active planning. For infrastructure updates affecting roadways across the region, see recent coverage of Phase 1 of the Burley Avenue Project in Buhl and intermittent I-84 ramp closures at Exit 211.