WALLACE — Last month, the Shoshone Board of County Commissioners approved a temporary easement between the county and Buell Bros. Incorporated that will allow them to replace a bridge over Elk Creek along Potlatch Road in the southern region of the county. 

Not to be confused with the Elk Creek area that lies between Osburn and Kellogg, near Interstate 90, this project area is located just a few miles east of Calder. 

According to Shoshone County Public Works director Jessica Stutzke, the county has roughly 100 feet of right-of-way near the site, but that doesn’t allow quite enough room to install the temporary bridge structure that will be needed to allow traffic to flow while the project is completed. 

At the advisement of the county’s legal team, along with input from HMH Engineers, the design team behind the bridge replacement,  a temporary easement and property-use agreement was needed to make sure the project remained on schedule. 

The temporary easement agreement is fairly standard and includes the county’s request to have an additional 15-foot section that allows the temporary bridge to be installed as well as allowing public access to cross it, while also crossing through a small section of private property. 

As part of the agreement, the county will restore the property after the project’s completion, including the removal of the temporary bridge and the obliteration of the temporary easement road. This includes restoring the contours of the shoulder of Potlatch Road to prevent the continued use of the temporary route by the public, as well as potentially using jersey barriers if necessary. 

The Elk Creek Trestle is being replaced through the Leading Idaho Local Bridge Program and is 100% funded with no match by the county.  

Approved during the summer of 2022, the Leading Idaho Local Bridge Program ranked a number of bridges throughout the state based upon the immediate need for replacement — including 12 bridges in Shoshone County. Eight of those bridge projects were approved for funding by the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) and the Idaho Transportation Board.

Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature approved up to $200 million for the projects from surplus funds as part of a historic transportation investment package that did not require any increase in taxes or fees. The bridge improvements target important crossings used to access farmland, natural resources or recreational areas — often with no reasonable alternative route or detour.

The Elk Creek Trestle Bridge project is expected to be completed by the end of October, otherwise the county will have to renew its easement with Buell Bros.