Fundraising continues for Bibler trail
Vehicles make their way past construction on Willow Glen Drive in Kalispell on Monday. Part of the road has been reduced to one lane as crews work on building a retaining wall.
A construction crew works on the roadside along Willow Glen Drive on Monday in Kalispell. The area is the future home of walking/bike trail.
As construction of the first major leg of the Sam Bibler Commemorative Trail proceeds, project supporters are continuing their efforts to raise the remaining $20,000 needed to complete the funding.
Construction currently is under way from the South Kalispell Fire Department to the bottom of Willow Glen hill along Willow Glen Drive.
The trail will connect with Kalispell’s Woodland Connector Trail. Apex Contracting bid the project for $447,814.
Flathead County is using its federal allocation of Community Transportation Enhancement Program money to design and construct the trail.
But matching money from the Sam Bibler Commemorative Trails Project is an important funding element, according to Allen Sieler, one of the project organizers. The federal grant requires a 13.42 percent local match.
“The scope of the project and funds needed have doubled in the last year,” Sieler said. “A year ago we needed $30,000 in matching funds. Today we need $73,000. The community has stepped up to the plate and we now have $53,000 in committed funding.”
The remaining $20,000 must be raised in the next few months, he said.
A $10,000 Roundup for Safety grant through Flathead Electric Cooperative recently boosted the project’s fundraising efforts.
Donations can be mailed to: Sam Bibler Commemorative Trails Project, P.O. Box 515, Kalispell, MT 59903.