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South Fork Bridge Construction to Begin in Mid-June

New bridge along U.S. Highway 2 will be built downstream of the current structure

By Beacon Staff
The U.S. Highway 2 bridge over the South Fork Flathead River near Hungry Horse on May 5, 2016. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Crews are preparing to begin construction of the new highway bridge over the South Fork of the Flathead River at the entrance of Hungry Horse.

Sletten Construction Company will begin replacing the South Fork Bridge on or around June 12, the contractor announced.

The new two-lane bridge along U.S. Highway 2 will be built just to the west, or downstream, of the current structure, which was originally erected in 1938. Crews plan to complete the bridge project by November 2018, weather permitting. Once the new bridge is open, the old one will be removed.

U.S. 2 is a primary route into Glacier National Park from the south and summer traffic is poised to significantly increase between now and Labor Day.

Traffic delays should be minimal, according to Sletten project managers. Crews will only work during the week, according to Russ Robertson, Sletten Construction Company project manager. Much of the construction that could slow drivers is taking place at night, and traffic delays will take place between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

“I think the traveling public will see a minimal impact,” Robertson said.

The waterway passages below the bridge will have some restrictions during summer months but will not be closed to floating traffic.

Both the new bridge and the rebuilt road will remain two lanes. The new bridge will include an ADA-compliant sidewalk for bicyclists and pedestrians on the west-side of the structure, something the current bridge does not possess.

The Montana Department of Transportation is moving forward with the sizable road project after years of planning. Replacing the old bridge has been a long-standing priority for MDT. With the help of two federal grants, the project is fully funded at $16.5 million, which will include a separate contract to rebuild roughly 4.5 miles of U.S. 2 through Bad Rock Canyon.

A 2012 study determined that the bridge is functionally obsolete and structurally deficient, and many aspects of the structure do not meet modern transportation design standards.

Nearly 14,000 vehicles travel through the corridor on an average summer day, according to MDT statistics.  The annual average is nearly 7,000 daily vehicles.

The crash rate for the U.S. 2 corridor was nearly 2.5 times higher than the statewide average, according to a 2006-10 study. The severity rate was more than three times higher than the statewide average. There were 45 injuries and five fatalities during that time period.

“We are very pleased to be a part of bringing a new and safer bridge to the Hungry Horse community,” said Robertson.