Traffic Resumes Early On The Goff Bridge Old Bridge To Serve As Detour While New Span Being Built

Traffic between northern and southern Idaho has been restored 36 hours ahead of schedule at the 61-year-old Goff Bridge north of Riggins, the Idaho Department of Transportation reports.

Hydraulic jacks were used Friday to slide the 1.24 million-pound bridge 65 feet westward, where it now serves as a detour on U.S. 95 while a modern $12.4 million span is built over the Salmon River.

The bridge was reopened Saturday night at 6 p.m., 36 hours ahead of schedule after being closed since noon Friday.

That means motorists will not have to detour around Oregon and Washington.

“We are very pleased with the move,” resident engineer Blake Rindlisbacher said. “Everything went smoothly without any problems.”

The bridge was lowered onto huge rollers, which carried it from where it has rested for the last six decades to new supports about 22 yards downriver.

On the current Goff Bridge, large trucks have to cross one at a time on the 24-foot width.

It also has a low height clearance at 14 feet, 5 inches.

The new span will be 47 feet wide and have a vertical clearance of 22 feet, 6 inches.

Construction is expected to be finished by winter 1998.