Hansen 1919 Bridge

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Hansen 1919 Bridge
Hansen, Idaho, United States
345 feet high / 105 meters high
608 foot span / 185 meter span
1919-1966

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Constructed in 1966 to replace an aging suspension bridge from 1919, the current Hansen bridge has 3 main steel girder spans set atop two of the highest piers ever built in the United States at 338 feet (103 mtrs). The central span is 258 feet (79 mtrs) with two side spans of 200 feet (61 mtrs) and an approach span of 102 feet (31 mtrs).

A dirt parking area on the south side of the crossing offers a great view of the bridge and the precipitous Snake River Canyon. If you are visiting the Twin Falls area, also be sure to check out the famous 486 foot (148 mtr) high Perrine bridge, located about 8 miles (13 kms) downstream from the Hansen bridge.

The original Hansen suspension bridge was the highest bridge in North America upon its completion in 1919. Soon after the Hansen suspension bridge opened, its construction engineer R. M. Murray started to look into another crossing of the Snake River. It took several more years before funding was available for the new bridge but once construction began in November of 1926, it was just under a year before the Twin Falls Jerome bridge was completed in time for the Jerome county fair in September of 1927. The massive cantilever remained North America’s highest bridge for two years before the Royal Gorge suspension bridge opened in Colorado in 1929.



Hansen 1919 Bridge Elevation


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Hansen suspension bridge postcard.


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Hansen suspension bridge postcard.


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Hansen suspension bridge postcard.


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Hansen suspension bridge postcard.


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Hansen suspension bridge postcard.