Crouch Bridge Design Wins Supporters

After a long haul over this bridge,
Elwin Butler and Jamie Anderson
finally have something to smile about.

   On first glance, the rendering of the latest design of the Middle Fork Payette River bridge (old Crouch bridge) looks like wooden trusses. “In truth,” says Holladay Engineering Project Engineer, Elwin Butler, “it is weathering steel truss.” The design includes a walking path on the downriver side.

  Holladay Engineering held an open house on February 13, for inspection of the renderings of the new design and to give residents the opportunity for comments.

  The height of the truss sides caused concern among some viewers, because of partial obstruction of the vista. Butler says, “It’s rendered at eighteen feet, but will probably be more like twelve feet. There are no piers in the river in this design, unlike the ones on the old bridge.”

  The new bridge will be constructed about thirty-five feet north of the existing bridge. It has a concrete deck, and the road will be concrete-paved to the intersection where it meets Anderson Creek Road.

  It appears there will be minimal impact on downtown Crouch—the first design they produced would have had much impact and caused uproar among city business and home owners. The ends are widened out a little for the pathway, but intrude very little. Butler says, “Marcia (Hefner, nearby Trading Post owner) was in with her friends, showing them the new design.” Mike Hefner said later, “We like it. Marcia is happy with it.”

  The engineer admits there are those people who wanted a covered, wooden bridge, who still want the rustic look. “But,” he smiles, “the worst dissenters are much less unhappy.”

  Commissioner Jamie Anderson told the City Council later that night that it was nice to see the renderings and she assured them “the matching federal grants should work”.