The Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls Needs Some Safety Updates

The Perrine Bridge is a historical landmark and is a major part of Twin Falls and its history. It is a beautiful bridge, that allows residents to travel over the canyon directly from Twin Falls, and makes for some amazing pictures as well. The bridge is where many base jumpers come from all over the country and world to jump from, and is also where you can see some amazing views of the canyon. Some people get anxious driving or walking over it, but most people enjoy the bridge. While the bridge is a beautiful structure, it has seen its share of tragedies as well. There are a few ways to help prevent these moments from happening and that is by upgrading and making the bridge a little safer.

Enclosed Walkways on the Perrine Bridge

There have been far too many incidents taking place on the Perrine Bridge, and since you can't close it down, there needs to be other ways to make the bridge safe. One such way would be to have enclosed walkways for those that want to walk over the bridge. This does raise some problems, but shouldn't safety be the number one concern? It would cost money to make these walkways, as well as it would need to be decided what type of material is the enclosed walkway made out of. An enclosed walkway would keep residents safe from the sides, but also keep them safe from random rocks that may get kicked up by cars, if anything falls off of a vehicle passing, or from somebody going into the street. While there is currently a barrier between the walkway and the street, an enclosed walkway would make it safer for all that walk across the bridge. 

Problems with an Enclosed Walkway on the Perrine Bridge

While an enclosed walkway would help increase the safety of everyone crossing the bridge, it would cause some concerns and problems for others. Many people come from around the country and world to visit Twin Falls and the Perrine Bridge is one of the reasons why. When walking across a bridge that high over a canyon, odds are good that many want to look over and down upon the Snake River below. An enclosed walkway would make it a little tougher and may upset many visitors, as well as residents. Another problem it would cause is that the Perrine Bridge is famous for allowing base jumpers to jump from it, and with an enclosed walkway, it would make this feat tougher to do. This would upset not only the base jumpers but many of us who enjoy watching these daredevils. 

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It raises the question of which is more important, safety or happiness? Far too many incidents have occurred on the Perrine Bridge and while there is no clear-cut answer on how to lower the number that occurs, something has to be done. While base jumping is great and looking over the bridge is fantastic, should safety outweigh these joys? It may cost the taxpayers of Twin Falls, but the cost may be worth it to some. It likely won't happen but it is an idea, and right now it is better than no plan to stop these moments from occurring on a beautiful bridge. If not an enclosed walkway, what should be done to make the Perrine Bridge safer?