Swinging bridge replacement to allow access during construction

The replacement of the Kootenai River swinging bridge is now out for bid, with an award expected in early May, and construction could start as early as mid-June, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

When completed, the new bridge will hang a little lower and just to the west of where the current bridge sits.

District Ranger Kirsten Kaiser said that the new bridge won’t hang as high because the Libby Dam — which didn’t exist when the current bridge was built — holds back the flood waters that once surged within a few feet of the existing bridge.

The first bridge was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, according to Forest Service documents. In 1948, it failed during a flood event, and was not replaced until 1951.

The current bridge has been rehabilitated three times since then: in 1968, 1993 and in 2016. But integral parts such as the concrete towers and cables are original to the bridge constructed in 1951.

Due to concerns over increased foot traffic and the fact the bridge no longer meets building codes, the Forest Service determined in 2016 that the bridge needs to be replaced.

Now with funding from the Federal Lands Transportation Program, the Forest Service has set a time limit of two years for the completion by the winning bidder.

While Kaiser told the Lincoln County Commission that work could begin as soon as June 16, it is not likely it will start that soon.

Yet, a lot of how quickly the project starts and how quickly it will be done depends on the contractor, she said. It’s even possible that a contractor could finish the project in under two years if work is fairly constant.

However, there are some limitations on when and where the bridge and paths leading to it will be closed, she said. While the public will not have access over the bridge to the portions of trail north of the river during construction, the falls will still remain accessible, as will a section of the trail leading to the bridge.

The portion of trail south of the Kootenai River that the contractor will be permitted to close during construction is only that section which parallels the railroad fence.

During the fall, winter and spring, from September 10 to June 15, the contractor will only be able to close the bridge site and areas immediately surrounding it for up to 21 consecutive days.

During the summer, the contractor will be permitted either eight closures of no more than three consecutive days, or four closures of no more than five consecutive days. However, the site can not be closed for more than 24 days total.

None of the closures will be allowed on holidays or weekends without written approval from the Forest Service.

While the public will be able to access the bridge when the site is open, the stipulations from the Forest Service also call for the contractor to flag work areas, such as open excavations, to which the public is not permitted access.