The construction of the foot bridge is currently happening as of October 2010. During construction the greenbelt will be closed for about three weeks north of the Pleasanton spur and south of the bridge at Veterans Park until crews install the bridge and the new approach. Commuters heading east from Veteran’s Parkway will need to cross the river at Veteran’s Parkway and use the Garden City Greenbelt to get downtown. And going west will need to cross the river at the Main St bridge.
Its projected that the first whitewater feature will installed by the Spring of 2012, depending on fundraising. This feature will near the Thurman Mill Diversion. After years of effort, all of the permits and permissions have been obtained and all design work is also finished. Although the amount left to be raised is about $1.36 million of the total, fundraising for the project is the only hurdle left to overcome.
The design for phase II of the park, is waiting on the new flood plain maps and the design for the Esther Simplot park, which will likely accommodate 100 year flood waters. This design will have an impact on the adjacent river bank, which will be designed to accommodate spectators for the river park as well as greenbelt traffic.
Visit the parks website for more information. To get updates on this project, sign up here. Donations for the project are accepted through Paypal.
For other VPNA posts about the River Recreation Park click here.
For some background about why Boise needs a whitewater park watch this video…