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County authorizes Eastern Idaho Railroad preliminary engineering for First Street crossing
Summary
Bonneville County approved an agreement obligating the county to pay for preliminary engineering design by Eastern Idaho Railroad for a railroad crossing on First Street; the railroad estimated roughly $50,000 for the design but final costs remain uncertain.
At its May 23, 2026 meeting, the Bonneville County Commissioners approved a preliminary engineering agreement with Eastern Idaho Railroad for the First Street railroad crossing. County staff explained the agreement covers preliminary engineering design work; the railroad provided an initial estimate of about $50,000 for that work, and staff said the county would be responsible for design costs under the agreement.
Commissioners questioned why the county would pay the railroad; staff responded that the railroad controls any changes to track alignments and will not permit changes without an engineer-of-record from the railroad doing the design. One commissioner asked whether that requirement is statutory; staff said it is tied to federal railroad rules and practice for railroad projects rather than a county-only policy.
The board moved and seconded the item and approved the engineering agreement by voice vote. Staff emphasized the $50,000 figure is an estimate and that the final design and construction costs remain unknown until the railroad completes its design work. Commissioners directed staff to continue coordination with the railroad and to attempt to obtain firmer cost estimates from the railroad as the design proceeds.
Next steps reported in the meeting include advancing the preliminary engineering under the railroad agreement and returning to the board with more detailed cost information once available.
