Boundary Creek Road Bridge construction and closure schedule

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The Boundary Creek Road (#568) will be closed between Sept. 26 and Oct. 15 for a bridge installation. 

Boundary Boat Ramp, Dagger Falls Campground and associated trails will be inaccessible during that time. Reservation holders with launches on those dates should plan on accessing the Middle Fork via Indian Creek or other points downstream of Boundary Creek. 

Beavers have been plugging culverts on the Boundary Creek Road where Dagger Creek passes under the road for several years. This has caused road damage from flooding and at times the road has been impassable. Replacing these culverts with a bridge will prevent future flooding and road damage, as well as benefit fish and wildlife. 

With the recent Ramshorn debris flow four miles downstream from Boundary Creek Boat Launch impeding boater traffic and causing most boaters to launch from Indian Creek or other launch sites downstream of the debris flow, the Forest Service decided to take advantage of this timing and replace the culverts with a bridge in late September and early October. This will avoid a closure of the Boundary Road next year during the height of the summer boating season. The Forest Service is hopeful that next year’s spring runoff and highwater will clear the Ramshorn debris flow and logjams in the upper section of the river which would mean that the upper section of the river would be more easily floated, and more people would be launching from Boundary Creek Boat Launch next summer. 

While officials understand this closure will impact some boaters planning on launching from Boundary Creek between Sept. 26 and Oct. 15, they feel installing the bridge during this time will impact less boaters than installing the bridge next year during the height of the summer boating season, particularly with the Ramshorn debris flow causing most boaters to launch from Indian Creek or other launch sites downstream at this time.