Repair or replace? State, county ponder best fix for iconic Swan River Bridge

The Montana Department of Transportation and Flathead County are in the initial stages of a feasibility study to determine whether Bigfork’s historic Swan River Bridge will be repaired or replaced.

The purpose of the study is to consider options to bring the 104-year-old bridge up to safety standards while retaining its historic character.

An open house and information presentation will be April 12 in the Bigfork Elementary School cafeteria to obtain input from the community on how the bridge should be updated and to discuss the feasibility study.

Study team members will be available during the open house to answer concerns or questions people have about the study.

The Swan River Bridge is a one-lane steel bridge that crosses the Swan River near downtown Bigfork.

Paul Mutascio, president of the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, said members of the foundation submitted a nomination to get the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places early last year, hoping it would secure its future in the town.

The bridge was registered as an historic place in 2015 and is now on the national register.

“Bridges like this are becoming rare and it’s become iconic for Bigfork,” Mutascio said. “There’s always been talk about changing that bridge, so we felt having its significance acknowledged by the state and nation would be an important statement to make.”

Built by A.Y. Bayne & Company of Minneapolis in 1912, the existing steel structure replaced a wooden bridge after it was condemned by the county.

The county paid $4,400 for the original steel bridge.

Over the years improvements have included a sidewalk and replacement of its guardrails. In 2012, the county repaired some of the road’s potholes and added handrails.

The open house on the bridge’s future will run from 5 to 8 p.m.

Comments about the future of the bridge may be submitted in writing at the meeting, by mail to Ed Toavs, Missoula District Administrator, at Montana Department of Transportation’s Missoula District Office at P.O. Box 7039, Missoula, MT 59807-7039 or online at ww.mdt.mt.gov/mdt/comment_form.shtml.

The comment period will close May 12.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.