Update: Part of Boise street closed until next week after geothermal line break
A heavily traveled portion of 6th Street in downtown Boise will be closed for at least a week after a geothermal line broke.
The Boise Police Department closed off the street between Bannock and Idaho streets after the break Thursday morning, according to a Facebook post from the Ada County Highway District. The city of Boise is in charge of the repairs and announced in a news release Thursday evening that the work should be completed by Thursday, March 20.
Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are being asked to use the detours at 5th and Bannock streets, and follow all the posted signs until the road reopens, the city said.
The city’s proactively replacing the original geothermal system with new leak-resistant pipes, according to the release, adding that the water pipes have heated downtown with “clean, renewable energy” since 1983. The break didn’t impact any local business utility services, the city said.
“Upgrading Boise’s geothermal system is essential to ensuring its long-term reliability and reducing leaks,” Jon Gunnerson, a civil engineer for the city, said in the release. “We appreciate the community’s patience as we complete this repair and continue investing in Boise’s clean, renewable energy future.”
Workers were seen digging up the roadway with an excavator at the intersection of 6th and Idaho on Thursday morning. Maria Ortega, a spokesperson for the city, told the Statesman in an email that the pipe repairs were finished Thursday night and that repaving the road would be completed March 20.
Traffic will be fully restored by March 21, Ortega said.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 12:59 PM.
