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Public Meeting to Look at Options for Swan River Bridge

An open house and informational presentation will be held Tuesday, Aug. 16

By Beacon Staff
A vehicle crosses the Bridge Street bridge near the PacifiCorp power plant, seen right, on the edge of the Swan River in downtown Bigfork. Cleanup of contamination is set for this winter for the riverbank and a separate location downstream. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

The Montana Department of Transportation and Flathead County are preparing a feasibility study examining potential improvements to the historic Swan River Bridge.

The purpose of this study is to consider options to rehabilitate or replace the bridge while maintaining the historic character of the bridge, DOT officials say.

An open house and informational presentation will be held Tuesday, Aug. 16, in the Bigfork Elementary School cafeteria, 600 Commerce St. The open house will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. with a presentation beginning at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is intended to review results from previous meetings, present bridge rehabilitation and replacement options, and receive public feedback on preliminary bridge options. Study team members will be available during the open house to discuss the study.

The one-lane bridge was built in the early 1900s and connects the village of Bigfork to Montana Highway 35. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places last year.

The bridge was built by the A.Y. Bayne & Company in 1911 and 1912 and cost the county $4,400 to construct. Although some alterations have been made, including the addition of a sidewalk and new railings, the bridge looks much like it did a century ago. The local efforts to add the bridge to the historic register, which is administered by the National Park Service, came about in 2014 when the county announced that it was looking to possibly replace the old bridge. In the application to register the bridge, it was noted that the structure is representative of many road bridges built in Montana between 1888 and 1915.

The public is encouraged to attend. Comments and concerns may be submitted in writing at the meeting, by mail to Ed Toavs, Missoula District Administrator, at MDT’s Missoula District office at P.O. Box 7039, Missoula, MT 59807-7039 or online.