Boise’s Greenbelt system is still healing after significant flooding during the spring of 2017. That means a long list of closures over the next several months.
About two years ago, significant snowpack across nearby mountain ranges began to melt. The huge amount of water began to overwhelm dams and reservoirs, leading to widespread flooding of the Boise River.
That torrent washed out parts of the city’s beloved Greenbelt system and gnawed away at the riverbank.
Some repairs were made earlier this year, but Boise Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway says more needs to be done while the river is in a low flow mode.
"We’re concerned right now that if there was some higher river flows this spring that we certainly could see some increased damage to the Greenbelt, so we need to get in and get those repairs done right now," Holloway says.
Nearly all of the 19 projects will focus on restoring the riverbank. These repairs will encompass points all along the Greenbelt, including a stretch near Plantation Island northwest of Veterans Memorial Parkway to a spur just north of Barber Park in Southeast Boise.
The federal government will pay for 90 percent of the repairs. Holloway says it took nearly two years for the feds to process the city's application.
The first repairs will be underway in mid-December, while most will begin in January and February. They’re expected to wrap up in April.
"That’s when irrigation comes back and the water flows will start coming back up again," Holloway says.
City officials will hold an open house Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at the main library branch to get feedback from commuters and Greenbelt users on planned detours.
You can find a map detailing each project and detour here.
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