Third Snake River Bridge to Cross at Eastland Drive

The idea is to keep the cost down.  Plans for a third crossing over the Snake River in Twin Falls County have mainly focused on locations southwest of the city and possibly as far away as Filer.  Now the engineers involved in the planning believe they’ve found a much cheaper alternative.

The New Bridge Would be Close to the Perrine Bridge

The two current bridges in the area are the crossing at Hansen and the Perrine Bridge between Twin Falls and Jerome Counties.  The new possibility for the third span would be very close to the current bridge at Twin Falls.  It's a few hundred feet to the east and not far from the Magic Valley Mall.

It would require a new interchange at Pole Line Road and Blue Lakes Boulevard.  Eastland Drive would appear to require some improvements and widening in some spots.  Traffic diverted to Eastland would take some of the pressure away from a very congested Blue Lakes Boulevard.

From a Dollar Perspective, it's the Best Location

The cost for the proposal could be all of $150 million dollars.  A vastly low-cost alternative to some of the other proposals.  It could also put the project on a fast track.  We could be looking at a new crossing by the end of the decade.

Most of the challenges would be on the Jerome County side of the canyon.  There are farmlands and pivots and a park.

No matter what final choice is made, it won’t be a win-win.  Some businesses and some homes will be displaced.