Bannock County officials discuss short-term safety fixes as condemned bridge forces gravel trucks onto neighborhood roads

A neighborhood representative told the Bannock County Board of Commissioners that repeated gravel-truck traffic on Rio Vista and Tank Farm Road has created a safety hazard for drivers, bicyclists and school buses and urged immediate fixes and outreach to trucking companies and the neighboring Fort Hall tribal government.

The resident said the problem has been ongoing: “So we're we're here to propose a solution to that so that they can mine their gravel and and we don't have a tragedy in the neighborhood. We've had some real close accidents that could've caused a life out there already with that.” The speaker described three incidents in the past year involving gravel trucks: a rollover at the top of Venus and Rio Vista, a truck that ran into an irrigation ditch and disrupted water, and a large truck found sideways with a car underneath.

County staff and commissioners said they do not control all of the roads involved and that a long-term fix — replacing a weight-restricted bridge west of Siphon — would likely require an outside grant and years to complete. The resident said the bridge was once rated for 50 tons and has been derated to 10 tons. He reported contacting Power County staff and said Power County’s road supervisor indicated bridge replacement is on their list but low priority and that applying for bridge funds this fall could lead to approval next spring and a roughly two-year project timeline.

Kyle Burmister, Bannock County public works director, described short-term work the county can do while the bridge issue is pursued. “What we could do to help with safety is make the shoulders a little bit bigger that people can get off and stuff like that,” Burmister said, and confirmed the county plans to pave and widen a small section of the road as part of this year’s schedule.

Commissioners and staff discussed other interim measures: adjusting intersection geometry so trucks need not swing as wide, widening or building shoulders on short segments, and reaching out to the tribe, Power County and trucking operators to encourage safer travel patterns. No formal motion or vote on a project funding package for these measures was taken during the meeting; the board described these items as directions for staff and intergovernmental outreach.

County staff noted other constraints. The resident said Power County told him the road west of the bridge is not Power County’s responsibility but that Tank Farm Road is. He also said Power County staff indicated they would raise the bridge with their board; the resident reported the federal/state bridge funding process and an example replacement cost for a different bridge that attendees cited as roughly $2,500,000.

Officials raised specific local impacts: the resident said the school district’s transportation supervisor flagged several bus stops on the route and that six buses run a southbound route in the area; the resident also said the mail carrier expressed fear of being struck from behind during heavy truck weeks. Officials emphasized the limited authority of the county over traffic on roads that serve as regional collectors and the practical limits of policing or excluding certain users from a public arterial.

The board asked staff to pursue the short-term engineering work the county can perform, to coordinate with Power County and Fort Hall tribal leaders about bridge funding and timing, and to attempt outreach to gravel haulers and other large-vehicle operators. Commissioners described the bridge replacement as a long-term project that will likely require grant funds through Idaho Transportation Department programs and intergovernmental coordination.

The county did not adopt a formal plan or appropriate funds at the meeting. Next steps, as presented by staff and commissioners, are: finalize short-term shoulder and intersection adjustments on the identified segment, begin outreach with Power County and Fort Hall tribal officials about bridge funding and prioritization, and contact trucking companies operating on the route to request safer operations until structural improvements can occur.