County moving forward on bridge removal

Citing safety concerns, the Flathead County Commissioners on Nov. 30 directed staff to begin gathering information on the costs of dismantling and removing the historic Red Bridge in Columbia Falls.

Flathead County planning director BJ Grieve told the commissioners Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have expressed concerns about the risk of the old bridge falling into the Flathead River during a flood and snagging passing debris. FEMA believes the resulting log jam could possibly create an even greater hazard, Grieve said.

Grieve also noted that because of disaster declarations in Montana following floods this spring and early summer, "a certain pot of money has been set aside for the state to address flood mitigation."

The commissioners discussed using a FEMA grant to offset the cost of demolition, which has been estimated at $300,000. The county would have to come up with a 25 percent match. The deadline to apply for the grant is March 30, 2012.

Commissioner Jim Dupont agreed with the idea of applying for a grant to remove the bridge.

"A grant is the way to go," he said. "It would be a heck of a lot cheaper. If we ignore the bridge, there could be problems."

Commissioner Dale Lauman said he'd like to see the bridge refurbished, but if the money isn't available, it should be torn down.

The First Best Place nonprofit organization in Columbia Falls initially worked on plans to refurbish the bridge for pedestrians and bikers. The group made plans to raise funds for the bridge, but the commissioners withdrew $500,000 in federal grant money for the project after the nonprofit failed to raise any money other than pledges.

In August, the group sent a letter to the commissioners saying the bridge in its current state is blight, violates the county decay ordinance, attracts crime and vandalism and is the county's responsibility to deal with.

According to the State Historic Preservation Office, in Helena, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year, so removal of the bridge might require historical mitigation, Grieve said. That could include erecting a sign at the site.

In a Nov. 23 letter to the commissioners, Columbia Falls Mayor Don Barnhart and the First Best Place, state historic preservation officer Mark Baumler recommended restoring the Red Bridge.

While the project may seem daunting, Baumler said, he was confident a restored historic bridge could generate economic benefits by drawing tourists, increasing property values and perhaps even attracting film crews. It could also provide safe transportation away from high traffic areas, he said.

The commissioners directed staff to solicit a scope-of-services bid from an engineering firm for removal of the bridge.