New Ferndale bridge to improve floater safety

In the wake of a civilian rescue of a young boy from the Swan River on Sunday, officials overseeing construction on the Ferndale bridge near where the incident occurred say the new bridge will improve boater safety.

At 55 years old, the Ferndale bridge on Montana 209 was in need of some updates in order to bring it into compliance with current standards, according to Bob Vosen, district construction engineer with Montana Department of Transportation.

Along with other structural concerns, the large pillars supporting the structure create a whirlpool current that, according to Bigfork resident Harry Wilson, has dumped numerous floaters out of their vessels over the 16 years he’s lived on the river.

According to Craig Robertson, superintendent for Sletten Construction, upon completion the new Ferndale bridge will span from bank to bank across the Swan River, eliminating the large pillars supporting the current bridge.

The end product, Robertson said, will enhance safety for both motorists crossing the bridge and recreationists floating under.

Vosen said that since crews began work on the bridge, the transportation department has worked with the contractors and Fish, Wildlife and Parks to ensure public safety through each step of the process.

The temporary pillars supporting the new bridge were built to align with the pillars supporting the old bridge to reduce risk to recreationists passing under.

“We take safety very seriously,” Vosen said. “We also are all family guys and outdoorsmen.”

Robertson said he and his team have also followed a state-approved plan to ensure boater safety through signage and navigational cues. Robertson said he oversaw the implementation of four signs with flashing yellow lights, which say “navigation restriction ahead” the first week in May, as well as signs at three put-in points that warn floaters of a 6-foot clearance for the bridge, which went in last week.

Signs on both banks of the river were placed 1,500 feet ahead of the construction zone and 500 feet ahead of the construction zone, according to Robertson.

He said boaters who choose to take on the river have two options when navigating the bridge. They can either choose to exit the river along the bank to the left of the project or go straight through a 60-foot wide navigational point bordered by floating buoys guiding them toward the channel in the center of the bridge.

“Read the signs, prepare and use caution, and you’ll go safely through,” Robertson said.

Robertson added that the construction crew will be working to expedite the process and plan to finish up in November.

Once the bridge is finished, he said, “this will never be an issue again.”

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.