American Falls Bridge

Location: The bridge is atop the American Falls dam. From Fort Hall Avenue in downtown American Falls, travel west on Idaho Street and follow Highway 39 west.

History: The American Falls Bridge was built in 1978 atop the second American Falls Dam. In the design of the dam, engineers took into account the long travel around the reservoir and also made the dam work as a bridge.

The city of American Falls was moved to its present location in 1925 when the original American Falls Dam was built and flooded the original townsite. At low water, street, sidewalks, a granary, and the graveyard of the old town are visible from the bridge.

Interesting Points: The original falls on the Snake River were named for a party of American trappers whose boat was carried over the brink. One man survived to tell the story. The falls were obliterated by the original American Falls Dam, built in 1927 by the Bureau of Reclamation for irrigation water storage.