The Bridge Street Bridge Closure

 

PHOTO FLATHEAD BEACON

By now everyone knows about the closure of the historic bridge connecting downtown Bigfork and Montana Highway 35. It remains in limbo after officials on Jan. 31 closed the bridge due to structural concerns. It actually came a s a surprise to everyone as representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation and Flathead County, met with locals to field concerns after the unexpected closure of the Bridge Street Bridge in downtown Bigfork.

There is no actual timeline as to when a new bridge will be in place, construction is dated sometime in 2026. The initial thought is to replace it with another bridge similar to the old one -- single lane, one car at a time.

Accoding to the article in the Flathead Beacon, February 3, 2024:

Representatives from MDT and Flathead County said they are working to find a temporary fix ahead of the bridge’s replacement, but that they cannot promise any particular solutions or time frames. Possible fixes could include renting a bridge or constructing a suspension bridge crossway for pedestrians.

“We’re going to do everything we can as fast as we can,” MDT Chief Operating Officer Dwane Kailey said.

Kailey said MDT will continue to communicate with the community as developments occur.

The public is encouraged to submit thoughts and questions regarding the bridge replacement project to sloane@bigskypublicrelations.com or by calling the project hotline at 406-207-4484.

OUR THOUGHTS 

With Bigfork being a unique destination with no other highway connections, bypasses, or underpasses, a pedestrian/bike bridge could be a viable solution to the current "moving parking lot" situation in the downtown area. If rebuilding is in the plans, this proposal should be considered as a sustainable and innovative option to improve the community.

When street closures or alternatives to driving are suggested, or mandated, many civic, local and state officials fear if traffic and parking is altered in any way it would hurt business, not to mention the people who wouldn't be able to shop or attend events because of restrictions. However, it's been our experience in covering similar situations other cities face (Alternatives Magazine) that quite the opposite is true. People are innovative. They will adapt.

Paris (France) closed 100 streets to cars for good and the effects have been profound

We understand that a PERMANENT closure of Bigfork Bridge Street to cars in favor of a walkable bridge may cause inconvenience to some drivers, but we want to emphasize the importance of prioritizing sustainable transportation options.

 

Continuously building infrastructure solely for cars only encourages more driving, which ultimately contributes to environmental degradation and traffic congestion. We believe that installing a pedestrian and bike bridge would be the start of a truly walkable and bikeable city and would be in line with the Bigfork Area Outdoor Recreation Plan for 2024.

This solution will not end the downtown traffic problem, but it's a start to making Bigfork a more pedestrian-friendly and bike-friendly city.

 

We look forward to working with the community to make Bigfork a better place to live, work, and play.

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