As the environmental assessment nears completion for reconstruction of a 7-mile stretch of Montana 35 through Bigfork, state highway officials want to know if Flathead County will ante up the money for bike-path and landscaping maintenance.

The reconstruction project is still several years away — sometime beyond 2014 — but the environmental assessment will be completed within the next few months. It involves the reconstruction of Montana 35 from just south of the highway intersection with Montana 83 to Woods Bay, and comes with an estimated $40 million to $50 million price tag.

The preferred design alternative would improve the highway alignment and adds medians in some places.

“It’s a pretty windy, pretty narrow road,” Montana Department of Transportation District Construction Engineer Ed Toavs said, adding that shoulders and sight-distance improvements are called for.

A new bridge would be built over the Swan River. An extensive bike and pedestrian path also is proposed, along with roundabouts at the intersection with Montana 209 and the Bridge Street/Sunset Drive intersection.

Some overlay improvements have been made through the years, but it’s been “decades” since the last reconstruction, Toavs said.

He and Pre-Construction Engineer Shane Stack met with the county commissioners last week to ask for a maintenance agreement that would make the county responsible for bike-path and landscaping maintenance.

They offered a copy of a maintenance agreement with Ravalli County as an example of how Flathead County might approach maintenance.

“What we’re asking is not a lot,” Stack said. “The public has asked for [amenities such as bike paths] but future maintenance becomes somewhat difficult.”

Commissioner Jim Dupont wondered why the trails would have to be maintained during winter months, but Stack said recreationists do use trails in the winter.

“People who want bike paths should participate in the maintenance,” Dupont said.

Commissioner Dale Lauman said the county already is struggling to maintain the trails it has.

The commissioners said they couldn’t promise a maintenance agreement, but agreed to discuss it with Parks and Recreation Director Jed Fisher.

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com