BIGFORK — The Bridge Street Bridge has been closed for almost a year, but now, construction is set to begin the first week of December to replace the bridge and reconnect the town of Bigfork.
While construction typically stops in the winter, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will move forward with the construction through this winter.
The bridge is a vital connector for the town and is one of two ways in and out and having the span closed is a safety concern.
“So it is harder in the winter, the colder temperatures, specifically with the with the concrete and some of the stuff that has to happen. But we recognize it was important to get it done and in a timely fashion, wanted to try to not be in the heart of Big Fork through the summer months,” said Montana Department of Transportation District Construction Engineer John Schmidt.
MDT announced the start of the $4 million project during a Thursday, November 21 open house to discuss the project. Through federal, state and county funding, the historic Bridge Street Bridge will be replaced with a similar style bridge with upgrades to the strength of the structure and the pedestrian path.
“The truss will be slightly longer. It'll be a single-lane trust similar to the old one. One of the biggest improvements that we've made to the new truss with this little space that we have is we've improved the sidewalk width on the one side,” said MDT Bridge Engineer Lenci Kappes.
Bigfork Art and Cultural Center members also talked about the history of the bridge and its importance to the community during the open house.
“The bridges in this area are what allows the population to move, and early on, it was just real difficult to do that. We've seen with the closure of this current steel bridge, how much it affects the way things work. And I think everybody's looking forward to having a bridge back there,” said Bigfork Art and Cultural Center volunteer Ed Gillenwater.
The community of Bigfork has worked with MDT to ensure that the bridge will have the same aesthetic as the old one.
“And I just think for people that come to Big Fork there, there's a certain feeling about the town. It's a very unique community, and you hate to lose that that sense of history and that heritage, so I think it's just, it's just part of who we are,” said Gillenwaer.
Construction will begin the first week of December and is anticipated to be completed in early July. The area will remain closed to pedestrians and vehicles and MDT is asking people to avoid the area during construction.
