Zinke, county officials and engineers celebrate Bigfork bridge replacement

Congressman Ryan Zinke and Flathead County commissioners joined construction crews in Bigfork on Monday to celebrate the feat of replacing the village’s historic one-lane bridge.

Downtown Bigfork’s 114-year-old bridge was closed after it was deemed unsafe for vehicle and pedestrian travel in January 2024. Several years before that, the closure was load posted at a 3-ton weight limit, which restricted larger vehicles from using the bridge. 

Battle Ridge Builders of Belgrade started work on the project last winter, taking down parts of the old bridge in early January. Work will wrap up ahead of the projected completion date of June 30, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.  

Project Manager Jack Moreaux said the steel truss bridge is a project he’s always wanted to build. But the Bridge Street Bridge posed a few challenges, including working in the frigid winter temperatures.  

“It’s tight quarters, right in the middle of town here. There were lots of utilities (to move) and generally speaking, there’s just not a lot of access through here,” Moreaux said. “And the expedited timeline, we wanted to open this before the Fourth of July, so we put in a lot of work to make that happen.” 

Zinke touted Moureaux as an example of Montana’s young talent, as he graduated from Manhattan High School in 2019. He said everyone on every level of the bridge project stepped up to make it happen. 

“It's on time and under budget -- it’s great, and it has a nice little area for people to walk. It’s an improvement that has the same legacy design, which the community was very much in favor of,” Zinke said.  

Battle Ridge Builders were awarded the $2.6 million contract for the replacement of the bridge. The funding was split, with 86.6% coming from federal coffers, 13.4% from the state and a $50,000 county contribution. The bridge is owned by Flathead County with Montana Department of Transportation overseeing the reconstruction effort.    

Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist said she remembers meetings in 2015 when discussions began to replace the one-lane historic bridge. Back then, the bridge was showing signs of deterioration. The state hired a consultant and formed a team to tackle the project, which was comprised of community members, including Holmquist. She said they looked at seven options for replacing the bridge.  

“We decided on the seventh option, the one you see here today, which maintains the historical part of Bigfork, which is our goal, but still provides a safe bridge,” Holmquist said.  

Not only is the bridge aesthetically in line with what community members hoped for, but it’s now clear to handle large loads, like delivery trucks headed to downtown businesses.  

Flathead County Commissioner Brad Abell said it’s going to be a tremendous asset for Bigfork. Larger vehicles being allowed to cross the bridge also means better access for emergency services.  

Commissioner Randy Brodehl echoed these sentiments. 

“It's been a years of waiting on this project and coming together with the community to really give them what they're wanting and still meet the needs for the next 100 plus years. It was an incredible opportunity for us to partner with the state and federal government to make this happen,” Brodehl said.  

A ribbon cutting event for the Bridge Street Bridge is set for June 25, starting at 11:45 a.m. Bridge Street will be closed to vehicles from National Parks Realty to Bigfork Angler during the event, starting at 10 a.m. 

 For more information about the project, visit mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/bigforkbridge/. 

Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or tinman@dailyinterlake.com.