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07:27 PM MDT on Tuesday, September 27, 2005

KTVB.COM

BOISE - Idaho 55 at the Rainbow Bridge was closed for about six hours Tuesday after a suspicious object was found underneath the bridge.

Idaho State Police

Police say this green bucket beneath the Rainbow Bridge contains trinkets for a popular Internet treasure hunt game known as geocaching. It did not contain explosives as first feared.

An ITD spokesman said investigators were conducting a routine bridge safety inspection around 9:30 a.m. today when they saw an object they could not identify. It was a green bucket with wires poking out.

Idaho State Police and the Boise Bomb Squad were called in to investigate and 17 miles of highway was closed. Investigators determined the bucket was filled with trinkets, photos and toys placed there as part of an online scavenger hunt called geocache. Players use a global positioning system to find the treasure.

Police say the man who stashed the object under the bridge has come forward and charges might be filed against him.

Idaho 55 was shutdown between Smiths Ferry and Cascade, from mileposts 96-113.

During the closure, a pilot car took motorists through the area on a backroad through Round Valley, but no semis were allowed on the road.

Transportation officials recommended motorists use U.S. 95 as an alternate route while the investigation was in process.

The Rainbow Bridge spans the Payette River between Smiths Ferry and Cascade. It was built in 1933, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the largest single-span concrete arch structure in Idaho.

Exposure to the elements over the years has caused the bridge to deteriorate. For example, travelers can see the pockmarked bridge rails and the bridge deck is uneven. The historic bridge needs to be repaired and restored.

Idaho Transportation Department

The Rainbow Bridge was closed this morning after inspectors found a suspicous package underneath the structure.

The Rainbow Bridge is scheduled to undergo a major restoration project next year according to the Idaho Department of Transportation’s Web site.

Last week, the U.S. Geological Survey reported three small earthquakes in Valley County, mostly centered around Cascade. It is not known yet if this seismic activity had any impact on the structural integrity of the Rainbow Bridge.

The Idaho Transportation Department and Associated Press contributed to this report.