TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Some much-needed upgrades are about to get underway, impacting access to Shoshone Falls.
- For the next five to six months, visitors won't be able to view the Niagara of the West, as crews start work on significant upgrades to the narrow roadways leading down to the parks.
- Twin Falls will close access to both parks starting mid-October.
- The project will feature a new asphalt surface and better visibility for motorists
- The repairs are expected to be completed in April 2025.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Since the early 1930s, Shoshone Falls Park has been a feather in the cap for the city of Twin Falls, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and generating significant revenue for the city and local parks department.
But starting in mid-October, access to the world-famous waterfall will be closed for some major upgrades to the aging infrastructure along Shoshone Fall Grade and the road leading up to Dierkes Lake.
"The intent is to initially fix the asphalt on the road. That road was built a long time ago, it doesn't have a good base on it and it's subject to a lot of freezing and thawing,” said Twin Falls Parks and Recreation Director Wendy Davis. “It's got areas that stay frozen most of the winter and it obviously breaks up the asphalt. So, the expectation is to mill and grind up the asphalt to make a good base and lay a new surface over the top of it."
Beyond a new asphalt surface, from the ticket booth to the RV parking area, the city would like to widen a few parts of the road to help improve visibility but due to the tough terrain, they may only get an extra 12 inches in some sections.
"We're also hoping to realign the road coming in and out of Dierkes, at the 'Y', which right now is kind of an angled approach, that is dangerous and we're trying to make it more of a 90, so you're hitting the Shoshone Falls Grade at a much of a 90 degree angle as we can get it,” said Davis.
The city did wrestle with the idea of only partially closing the road, allowing winter visitors, but that would have extended the construction project even later.
"It's going to be a little painful right now to close the park completely down, but the expectation is to close it completely down during the winter so they can get the work done and get us back up and running by early April,” said Davis.
And for those looking to access the park via the Canyon Rim Trail, the parks department plans to limit access up to the entrance of the falls viewing area allowing construction crews access to the parking lots.
The Twin Falls Parks and Recreation Department has already closed a lot of park services, including the sprinkler system and the bathrooms. They expect a full closure from the ticket booth down with construction set to begin within the next week.
