Bigfork's Sportsman’s Bridge to be replaced in 2023

Plans to replace the 66-year-old Sportsman’s Bridge on Montana 82 near Bigfork were unveiled last week by the Montana Department of Transportation.

As part of the project, the fishing access site to the south of the bridge also will be replaced by a new fishing access site.

The Department of Transportation held two open-house sessions last week to introduce the public to plans that have been in the works for nearly a decade.

This spring, MDT completed 60% of the design for the project. Construction is expected to start in 2023.

The bridge was built in 1955. At the time, “it appropriately suited the local traffic between Bigfork and Somers,” according to MDT.

But the growth of the valley and accompanying traffic has begun to overwhelm the bridge. The state aims to build a longer and wider bridge in its place to better accommodate traffic and improve safety.

In its current formation, Sportsman’s Bridge is 686 feet long. The planned replacement will be 706 feet long. It will also contain two 12-foot travel lanes and two 10-foot shoulders.

The new fishing access site will be built similarly to the current site. The new turn into the fishing access site will be located east of Hanging Rock Drive. New turn lanes are going to be added at the intersection of Hanging Rock Drive and Montana 82, going right and left.

The parking area will have 28 stalls for trucks and trailers, plus eight standard spots and one bathroom facility built to federal Americans With Disabilities Act standards.

MDT is working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to keep the fishing access open throughout the project. The partners plan to either build the new fishing access site before constructing the new bridge, or phase the construction of the new fishing access site to maintain operations.

“There may be some minor inconveniences at the fishing access site due to phasing or flagging, but delays are expected to be minimal,” MDT states.

The bridge is also expected to stay open during construction. The new bridge will be built to the south of the current structure.

It’s the agency’s hope that “existing facilities can remain open during construction with minimal to no impacts to traffic.”

However, some single-lane closures for short periods will be required at times, the state agency added.

Boat traffic also will be largely uninterrupted by the project.

Boats will be allowed to travel beneath the bridge and through the work zone, except “when construction activities dictate temporary short-term closures for safety.” Closures are anticipated to last at most eight hours, and the public will be notified ahead of time.

The new bridge will have the same vertical clearance, or even slightly higher clearance, than the current bridge.

More information for this project can be requested from Amy Aiello, the Communication Manager for the Sportsman's Bridge project. Aiello can be reached at amy@bigskypublicrelations.com or by calling 406-207-4484. A webpage is also kept up to date with updates on the project at: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/flathead/faqs.shtml

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.