JEROME, Idaho — After years of neglect, the old Interstate bridge is now a pedestrian link between parks in Twin Falls and Jerome.
- The "broken bridge" hasn't been used since the 1960s, and high water washed away the access on the north side of the river.
- Jerome County's Snake River Canyons Park secured funding from numerous organizations, including the city of Twin Falls, Southern Idaho Legacy Trails, Mid-Snake Recreation District, and others. They also secured no fewer than six federal and state permits to construct a steel ramp so pedestrians could access the bridge from the north side.
- The bridge serves as a link between the Jim Irwin and Carl Nellis Walking Trail — also known as the Yingst Grade — on the north and the Auguer Falls Heritage Park on the south side of the river.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Janice :"Last year there was a little family of foxes that would sit up on the rocks and watch us walk by."
Janice and her old friend Lonnie are regular users of this trail at the canyon. And in fact find time to walk it nearly every day.
Lonnie: "unless I'm out of town hunting or something.”
Lorien: ‘So you're down here every day?”
Lonnie: "Just about. I'd say six days a week easy."
Lorien: "Why do you come out here?"
Lonnie: "For health reasons, and it's just a beautiful spot and I really enjoy it."
Long-talked about as a possible pedestrian crossing, the Broken Bridge is now just that. Something Janelle Andrews and her son are happy about.
Janelle Andrews: "We actually just walked across the bridge, so yeah, it's a nice path…Its incredible, I don't think there's a lot of people that have this kind of view in their back yard, so it's kinda neat."
Totally neat. In fact you could make a 13-mile loop from the Perrine bridge by going down the south end and up the north end.
Commissioner Charlie Howell tells me that, in the 20 years the park has been planned, the input and effort of volunteers have steered its course.
Charlie Howell: "I think the biggest part of it is its bringing the community together, more people are getting involved in the projects, not only the broken bridge as we call it, but the park itself, and getting things out and getting people out "
And it's getting a lot of use. Trail counters set up in the spring showed the trail sees an average 80 people every day. With rewards like this, its easy to see why.
Janice: "It is so busy, huh Lonnie?"
Lonnie "It's wonderful, it really is."
Janice: " Lot of people of the health I'm sure"
Lonnie: "That's why I'm down here."
