New pedestrian bridge at Lava Hot Springs improves pedestrian safety and mobility in popular tourist town

A new pedestrian bridge just north of the existing one in the city of Lava Hot Springs in southeast Idaho increases pedestrian mobility and enhances safety for all users of East Main Street, which is US-30 through town. The new bridge promises to be heavily used by recreationalists.

Previously, people crossed between the city’s hot pools and swimming pools via the East Main Street Bridge. While structurally adequate, the bridge lacks good pedestrian accommodations and sidewalks. The new bridge corrects that problem. In addition, it replaces a dangerous, elevated sidewalk that is cracked and deteriorating. There was no sidewalk on the south side. The average daily foot/pedestrian traffic stepping off the bridge in Aug. 2013 was 7,800, while the average daily vehicle traffic is 880.

There have been five vehicle-pedestrian cras.es at the bridge in the last 10 years.

The city contributed almost $124,000 of the $325,000 total cost of the bridge.

The steel truss bridge is 50 feet long, six feet wide, and has a "bump out" in the middle that serves as an outlook platform. Additional signage provides direction for pedestrian foot traffic and encourages use of the new pedestrian bridge.

In the last six years, the city's lodging has grown by 57%, and during the last seven years, the swimming pool and hot pool facilities have seen a 44% rise in attendance.

Published 02-22-19