Ada County to Build Pedestrian Footbridge Over Boise River Near Expo Idaho in Garden City, Idaho
Ada County is moving forward with plans to construct a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Boise River in Garden City, Idaho, filling a longstanding gap in the Boise River Greenbelt that has frustrated walkers and cyclists for years. The project, funded largely through a roughly $650,000 grant from the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council and the regional planning organization COMPASS, will link the south bank of the Boise River near the end of 52nd Street in Garden City to the heavily used pathway on Plantation Island.
Background: A Greenbelt Gap That Has Frustrated Riders for Years
Anyone who has pedaled or walked the Boise River Greenbelt along the river’s south side in Garden City has likely encountered the same abrupt dead end: the trail simply stops near 52nd Street. Private homes between that point and Remington Street — just east of the Expo Idaho fairgrounds site — have long blocked through access, forcing Greenbelt users to detour into residential streets or navigate high-traffic roads near the busy intersection of Chinden Boulevard and Glenwood Street.
The project has been under discussion since at least June 2022, according to a project proposal packet from COMPASS. Originally, Garden City was slated to lead the effort. However, Ada County Senior Project Manager Josh Brown told BoiseDev that the city asked Ada County to take over the project at the end of 2025, citing the need for a small amount of local matching funds even though the grant would cover most of the costs.
“It’s because it’s very difficult to get from the end of the Greenbelt at 52nd to the park, and if you build a bridge right across, you don’t have to send people off into traffic off the Greenbelt,” Brown said in remarks reported by BoiseDev.
Key Details: Design Process, Timeline, and Estimated Costs
Ada County is currently awaiting approval to issue a request for qualifications to hire a design firm. Once hired, the design process is expected to take approximately one year and will determine the exact location and length of the bridge. Brown noted that a final construction price tag will not be known until design work is complete, but offered a general benchmark: river bridges typically cost around $3,000 per linear foot.
If the design phase proceeds on schedule, construction is expected to take place between September 2027 and March 2028 — a window selected because river levels are lower during those months, making construction more feasible. That timeline would put the bridge’s opening roughly two years after Ada County’s planned revamp of the former Les Bois horse racing park at the Expo Idaho site into a 50-acre riverfront park.
The grant funding comes jointly from the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council and COMPASS, the region’s metropolitan planning organization, which coordinates transportation planning across the Treasure Valley.
Impact on Ada County Residents and Greenbelt Users
For Garden City and Ada County residents who rely on the Boise River Greenbelt for commuting, recreation, or daily exercise, the bridge would represent a meaningful quality-of-life improvement. The current gap forces Greenbelt users — whether on foot or bicycle — onto streets near one of the more congested intersections in the area. Completing this link would allow uninterrupted non-motorized travel through a section of the Greenbelt that currently dead-ends without warning.
The broader project also ties into Ada County’s long-term investment in the Expo Idaho corridor, where officials are working to transform the former horse racing facility into usable public parkland along the Boise River. A completed pedestrian bridge would give future park visitors direct access from the Greenbelt’s south-bank trail system — and vice versa — without requiring them to navigate vehicle traffic.
Greenbelt connectivity has been a recurring theme in Treasure Valley planning conversations. Readers following other active infrastructure projects in Ada County may also be interested in Linder Road construction in Eagle, where ACHD is preparing for a roundabout closure that is testing neighbors’ patience along another key corridor.
What Comes Next
The immediate next step is Ada County’s pending approval to issue a request for qualifications to select a design firm. Once that approval is granted and a firm is hired, the yearlong design phase will begin. Community members interested in the project’s progress can monitor updates through Ada County’s public works announcements and COMPASS’s regional planning communications.
Construction is not expected to begin until fall 2027 at the earliest. In the meantime, Greenbelt users navigating the Garden City section of the trail should plan for the existing detour to remain in place. Those looking for other outdoor recreation options in the area may want to check current trail conditions — recent wet weather has impacted Boise Foothills trails, so checking for closures before heading out remains advisable.
The bridge project represents a significant step toward closing one of the most noticeable gaps in Ada County’s regional trail network — a gap that has existed for years while the surrounding area continues to grow.