Bigfork residents, businesses raise concerns about closure of unsafe bridge
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Montana) discusses the impacts of the closure of the Bridge Street bridge in Bigfork Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)
Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty, (left) along with county engineer Bethany Kappes (middle) and Montana Department of Transportation chief engineer Dustin Rouse meet with Bigfork citizens concerned about the closing of the Bridge Street bridge Friday, Fab. 2, 2024. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)
The Bridge Street bridge in Bigfork after state officials closed it. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle)
Bigfork is no closer to a solution for the closing of the downtown Bridge Street Bridge despite a meeting between Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, Montana Department of Transportation officials, Flathead County representatives, and Bigfork residents and business owners Friday.
The state Department of Transportation closed the Bridge Street Bridge to vehicle and pedestrian traffic due to structural concerns Jan. 31 after its most recent inspection determined the bridge can no longer reliably carry traffic.
“We did not take this matter lightly,” said Dustin Rouse, chief engineer with the state transportation agency. “This [is] not an easy decision for us any time we have to do this. This bridge was built in 1912 and is continuing to deteriorate. For public safety, we had to shut it down. We need to keep traffic and pedestrians off of it,”
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