Middle Fork Boise River Road to be Closed for Construction

Construction work on the Middle Fork Boise River Road will result in intermittent closures of the roadway beginning Monday, October 4. Unit 39 deer hunters using this route to access their favorite hunting areas should pay particular attention to the closure hours. For additional information regarding the closure, contact Bryant Kuechle, Public Affairs Specialist for the Idaho Transportation Department at 208-334-8881 or Jeff Morf, Idaho Transportation Department District 3 project engineer at 208-334-8971. Construction is focused on a stretch of road ten miles west of Atlanta, between Black Warrior and Bald Mountain Creeks. At this location, the Middle Fork Road will be open to a single lane of traffic from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (one hour) and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (12 hours) Monday through Thursday. The route will open at noon on Fridays, remaining open throughout the weekend. The route will remain closed at all other times. Weather permitting, work is expected to be complete by mid-December. "We wanted to get the word out because the Middle Fork Road is a major access road for deer hunters," Fish and Game environmental staff biologist Eric Leitzinger said. "With the road open during portions of each day and the weekend, hunters will need to plan accordingly to get in and out of their hunting area." Two alternative routes to the Atlanta area are available. Travel on the Middle Fork Road to Forest Service Road 156 (Phifer Creek), then to the junction at Rocky Bar. Turn north on Forest Service Road 126 (James Creek) which rejoins the Middle Fork Road near Atlanta. Hunters can also access this area by traveling to Featherville and continuing on Forest Service Road 156 (Phifer Creek) to Rocky Bar and the James Creek Road. The joint construction project between the Idaho Transportation Department and the Atlanta Highway District will involve stabilizing the roadbed by raising the grade to prevent further washouts. Additionally, fallen debris from the river will be removed and used to build the new roadway embankment. The road closed on August 16 after heavy rains washed out approximately 600 feet of roadway at Steel and Lake Creeks, the same location as a previous washout in June and an earlier washout last summer in the aftermath of the Hot Creek Fire. The road was reopened to a single lane of traffic on August 27.