Work crews are scrambling to fix the foundation for the Plantation Bridge on the Greenbelt before next Wednesday, when the water level is scheduled to rise on the Boise River thanks to our heavy snow pack.
Two years ago, after heavy runoff forced the bridge to be removed, heavy runoff is again causing problems. Next week the river will be four times higher than it is right now, according to officials. That's a concern because crews are nowhere near finished.
Crews are working to put in 400 tons of what they call "bank armor" but it's not as simple as tossing boulders into the river. Both the Department of Water Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers must sign off on the plan to make sure it doesn't adversely affect the river downstream.
After the boulders, crews will lay willows, rip rap on top, and then soil as a final layer. Ideally, it should look natural, but be more resistant to the river than it was before.
