SANDPOINT - The future is unclear for the bike and pedestrian path on the Long Bridge.

But what is clear is there will always be a path over the Pend Oreille River. It's just a question of whether the existing bridge structure will be retained or whether it will be demolished.

It's also clear that the answer won't come quickly.

"We have absolutely no intention at this time or in the near future to do anything with the Long Bridge," said Barbara Babic, the Idaho Transportation Department's District 1 spokeswoman.

State transportation projects are planned as far as 30 years into the future, but a new Long Bridge is so far off on the horizon that it doesn't even show up in the strategic planning, Babic said.

The 179-span T-beam stringer bridge used by cyclists and pedestrians was built in 1956 to replace a wooden bridge built in 1934. The bridge was converted to non-motorized use in 1978, when the existing U.S. Highway 95 bridge was built.

The 1956 bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, according to the ITD and the Idaho State Historical Preservation Office.

However, the bridge will be demolished unless a move to preserve it is embarked upon. The state and the Federal Highway Administration will develop a plan to market the bridge for reuse.

The new owner would have to provide a comprehensive plan for the preservation and future use of all or part of the bridge, including any desired modifications and estimated cost of rehabilitation.

One day, the existing U.S. Highway 95 traffic bridge will be replaced or expanded so it can accommodate four lanes of traffic, shoulders and a bike/pedestrian path that's separated from motor vehicles.

"Anything that's built will have a bike/ped facility," said Babic.

Babic said the Long Bridge project does not yet have a design or funding, so the question of what will become of the 1956 bridge will endure for some time.

"Right now, we have all the time in the world to answer it," she said.

The bridge's history dates back more than a century, as a wooden, 2-mile Long Bridge was built across the Pend Oreille River in 1908.

In 1934, a wooden replacement bridge was built with assistance from the Works Progress Administration. At that time, it was regarded as the longest wooden bridge in the world, according to the Idaho Transportation Department and the Idaho State Historical Preservation Office.