Efforts to revamp the Old Red Bridge in Columbia Falls took a considerable step backward last week, after Flathead County decided to pull $500,000 it had directed toward the project last year.
Flathead County commissioners cited rising expenses and a communication breakdown with the project’s sponsor group, First Best Place, as the reasons behind their unanimous vote to “unencumber” half a million dollars in Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) funds.
“Unencumber” means the money goes back to the CTEP general fund instead of being reallocated to another project.
The bridge, which spans the Flathead River in Columbia Falls, was deemed unsafe for car traffic in 1989 and closed off to pedestrians in 1992. The revitalization project aimed to turn the structure into a pedestrian river crossing, complete with a possible kayak playground and community park.
According to county planner Alex Hogle, the original engineering report from August 2010 estimated costs for the project at $840,000. The commission decided to allocate, or encumber, $500,000 of the county’s available CTEP funds toward the Red Bridge, to be paid out over two years.
CTEP uses federal highway tax dollars to develop non-motorized transportation access for the public. Typically, a county would pay 13 percent of the project’s cost, while CTEP funds pick up the remaining 87 percent. Flathead County does not provide for new trail funding in its budget, so private groups are responsible for providing the matching 13 percent.
Hogle said the second engineering report from March 2011 estimated the project’s cost had increased to $1.9 million. In May, commissioners discussed the project’s financial status and viability, agreeing to give First Best Place four months to address fundraising concerns.
The four-month deadline passed on Sept. 16, and Hogle told the commissioners that there had not been “productive correspondence” between the group and the county.
During their discussion, the commissioners supported the idea of pulling the funds from the project and said rehabilitating the Red Bridge may be reconsidered if it becomes viable in the future.
“The time might not be right at this point,” Commissioner Dale Lauman said. “I think the project has merit, but I think the cost is overwhelming.”
Commissioner Jim Dupont was more outspoken about the communication issues between the county and First Best Place, asking FBP Executive Director Barry Conger about the apparent communication breakdown.
Conger told the commissioners that his group has a newly structured plan for the project, but he didn’t present it based on his assumption that the commission was in favor of pulling the CTEP funds.
“To tell you the truth, it kind of felt like it was a foregone conclusion,” Conger said.
Conger supported the idea to withdraw the CTEP funds and would like the city of Columbia Falls, the county and First Best Place to work on a new plan together. He also said media coverage negatively affected fundraising efforts.
Dupont said the commission was not responsible for the project’s “publicity,” noting that the bridge is in “tough shape” and if it can’t be fixed, it should be taken down. This does not mean that the commission wanted to “throw a hand grenade” at the project’s CTEP funds, Dupont said.
The commission voted 3-0 to pull the CTEP funds with the caveat that the Red Bridge project can reapply for the money in the future.