Phase II of Skye Park footbridge approved

Progress on the proposed Skye Park footbridge took a step forward Jan. 7 when city council voted to fund phase II of the project.

The 10-foot-wide Skye Park bridge will cross the Whitefish River upstream of the train trestle. It will connect the City Beach area near Oregon Avenue to the east end of Birch Point Drive.

Council’s vote allows project engineers Thomas, Dean & Hoskins to craft preliminary and final designs, and negotiate necessary easements with BNSF Railway. The additional work is estimated to cost no more than $62,500 and will allow the city to take bids next spring on the bridge project.

Design and construction of the bridge is proposed to be funded by the city’s tax increment finance revenue. About $10,000 of phase II costs will be paid for by the wastewater fund since some improvements will benefit access to the Birch Point sewer pump station.

Engineering work completed for phase I of the project totaled $15,310.

Council voted in opposition of moving the project forward at their Dec. 3 meeting after questions were raised about the scope of work, total cost, and its position on the TIF project priority list. Public Works Director John Wilson’s latest staff report addressed council’s concerns.

Wilson said “highly inflated” cost estimates were being tossed around at the Dec. 3 council meeting, some as high as $900,000.

“It would be good to remember we have a reasonably well considered conceptual cost estimate in the amount of $668,000,” he noted in the staff report.

He said alternate funding sources through grants could provide as much as $375,000, potentially reducing the TIF cost share to around $300,000.

The bridge was voted as a third priority TIF project last year, behind downtown parking and Depot Park improvements. Construction of a new City Hall wasn’t included on the priority list since funds are actively being set aside for that project.

Wilson said city manager Chuck Stearns believes sufficient TIF funds are available for all of the projects, included the Skye Park bridge.

In addressing concerns about the bridge being designed to hold the weight of an emergency vehicle, Wilson said it’s standard engineering practice for similar-sized footbridges to support a full load of people — about 85 pounds per square foot. That is more than enough to support any of the vehicles the Whitefish Fire Department expects to drive over the bridge.

“There would be no extra cost to accommodate this type of emergency vehicle and equipment,” Wilson reiterated.

The Skye Park bridge will connect the BNSF loop trail to a planned path along U.S. 93 West via Veterans Peace Park. The path will go through Kay Beller Park to Riverside Park, then back to downtown, creating a loop.