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History of Broadway Bridge discussed at free event Nov. 30 in Boise

For more than a century, some version of Boise’s Broadway Bridge has provided critical access to businesses and services on either side of the river. The historical association of the bridge(s) with early Boise settlers is pretty interesting, too.

Starting as far back as 1868, a Boise City Bridge (initially a toll bridge) was built to span the north and south sides of the river. A spring flood in 1876 severely damaged the timber bridge and required replacement. In 1883, the Boise City Council purchased the newer, stronger bridge from William Ridenbaugh for $8,000 and made it toll-free.

That bridge was replaced with a steel truss bridge in 1912, and again in 1956 with a concrete seven-span stringer/girder bridge. Finally, the newest rendition of the Broadway Bridge opened in Sept. 2016, replacing the one that had stood there for 60 years.

Along the way, the history of the bridge took many interesting and unexpected twists and turns, which will be discussed Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. by the Boise City Department of Arts and History and TAG Historical Research and Consulting at a free event for the public.

Books (the front cover is pictured above) will be available to purchase for $8. The event will be at the Rediscovered Bookshop, at 180 N 8th Street. ITD funded the Boise City Department of Arts and History to research Broadway Bridge history as part of mitigation for the loss of the historic resource.