Rainbow Bridge Preservation and Replacement

planning

The Rainbow Bridge over the North Fork of the Payette River, built in 1933 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is becoming increasingly unsafe. The Idaho Transportation Department plans to tear down the historic bridge and replace it with a new one just west of the original. Local history groups are urging the department to explore preservation options and provide detailed structural analyses to support claims that preservation is infeasible. They also request public engagement and meetings to discuss preservation solutions.