The Key to Broadway Bridge's Success

Last month when we presented our annual Leadership in Motion awards, it occurred to me that we should share these types of success stories more than just once a year. So, I’m going to use my blog to highlight notable projects or programs, large and small, that showcase the amazing work that happens every day in the Treasure Valley.

Most of you know the story of the Broadway Bridge – the old 1956 bridge had outlived its useful life. It was deemed “structurally deficient” and was no longer able to accommodate the 24,000+ vehicles and countless bicyclists and pedestrians that crossed it every day.

There was little, if any, dispute of the need for rebuilding the bridge. However, decisions regarding how to tear down and rebuild a new bridge that would accommodate all users, and do so with minimal disruption, were not as straightforward. These decisions could make or break the project. Ultimately they were the hallmark of its success.

The Idaho Transportation Department’s extensive, ongoing, and honest conversations with local stakeholders – the public, Boise State University, the City of Boise, adjacent businesses, Ada County Highway District (ACHD), and more – were instrumental in shaping the final design of the bridge. From start to finish, ITD went above and beyond to include and educate anyone and everyone who would be affected by the bridge replacement.

ITD closed the bridge on January 4, 2016, with a goal to open the new bridge before the first Boise State home football game in September. Could a project of this magnitude, with so many moving parts, really be completed in nine months?

Yes, it could. Again, the key was open communication and cooperation. Without assistance and partnerships with ACHD, the City of Boise, Boise State University, and neighboring businesses, the project could not have been built with such precision and on such a tight timetable.

So, how did ITD foster an open and ongoing dialogue with its stakeholders to make this project such a success? With an extensive and far-reaching public involvement strategy that included: 

• Working closely with local businesses to minimize impact. In fact, business owners praised ITD for its efforts to keep them “in the loop,” and its timely response to questions and problems.

• Widely distributing information on the closure, detours, and status updates on construction. You would have been hard pressed to find someone who did not know the Broadway Bridge was under construction.

• Conducting community workshops that ultimately helped ITD make the decision to construct the bridge through a complete road closure, as opposed to a phased construction with partial closures, and include wide bike lanes and sidewalks and keep the greenbelt under the bridge open to the river.

• Coordinating with partners to keep traffic flowing on alternate routes, re-route the greenbelt, and keep business access open.

The new bridge was built to serve all users, is attractively designed, includes greenbelt access on all four corners…and was built in just nine months. None of this could have happened without the commitment to an open dialogue, clear communication, and partnership toward a common goal by not only ITD, but its partners, adjacent businesses, and the public.

It is truly a success story.