Red Bridge funding secured

HEIDI DESCH / Hungry Horse News

Reconstruction of the Red Bridge seems to have finally gotten a green light.

Flathead County Commissioners last week approved $500,000 in funding over two years for the project. The board also approved $300,000 a piece for projects in Lakeside and Bigfork.

The First Best Place Task Force is working to restore the bridge, which crosses the Flathead River southeast of the city, into a pedestrian path. The project is expected to cost about $900,000.

The county is using money from the state's Community Transportation Enhancement Program. The state awards money to counties and cities to be used for transportation related projects.

The vote to spend the money was unanimous.

Members of First Best Place and the public lobbied commissioners before the vote.

Dave Renfrow, with First Best Place, reminded the commissioners of the agreement they signed in 2009 to prioritize the plans to rebuild the bridge.

"We did what you asked and went to work to start finding the funding. We're ready to go forward," he said.

About $25,000 in donations has already been spent on engineering and design work.

Renfrow claimed that Columbia Falls hasn't received any CTEP funding from the county in the last 20 years.

Jami Belt, who lives in the River Road neighborhood, told commissioners there are more than 20 children there that could use the bridge to get to school. She talked with neighbors about the project.

"I found amazing support for the bridge," she said.

Commissioners agreed to give the Red Bridge $250,00 this year. Provided that the project moves forward and funding is available, the bridge will get an additional $250,000 next year.

The county previously accepted applications for projects to use CTEP funding. A review committee had recommended $400,000 each for the Lakeside and Bigfork projects and none for the Red Bridge.

The commissioners disagreed with the recommendation.

Commissioner Jim Dupont called the recommendation "unfair."

"They brought up that no funds have been spent in that community (Columbia Falls' for years. The Red Bridge potentially has a lot of money already lined up. I don't know why we can't split that money more evenly."

The city of Columbia Falls, the county, First Best Place and the Montana Department of Transportation signed an agreement to work together on rebuilding the bridge. The city has agreed to spend $50,000 towards connecting its walking path from Talbot and Fourth Avenue to the bridge.

Flathead County owns the Red Bridge. The county has agreed to maintain ownership during the period of redevelopment. Later it would consider transferring ownership to Columbia Falls, if all parties agree.

The Lakeside project will construct a path from U.S. 93 along Blacktail Road to Youth With A Mission school. Hundreds of students from the school are forced to walk on or in the ditch along the road. The path would be about a mile.

The Bigfork project will construct a new path along Echo Lake Road near Swan River School. The Bigfork Rotary Club has been working to connect the path along Echo Lake Road with an existing pathway along the Swan River.