A software challenge has slowed Flathead County’s application for a grant to pay to remove the Red Bridge across the Flathead River near Columbia Falls.

County Planning Director BJ Grieve told commissioners that the Federal Emergency Management Agency software that the county must use to apply for the grant lists specific project types — and bridges aren’t on the list.

Grieve said county Planner Alex Hogle has left messages for FEMA personnel and has spoken to people at the software company about the issue, to no avail.

Last month, commissioners directed county employees to begin work on a $280,000 grant application from FEMA to remove the bridge. If the county receives the grant, it would have to contribute $93,550, which equals 25 percent of the project cost.

The county opted to seek the grant money at the recommendation of FEMA officials who told Grieve they are concerned the Red Bridge could collapse into the river and create a hazard.

The application deadline for the hazardous mitigation grant program is in late March.

The application is fairly specific to “repetitive loss types of situations such as flooding,” Grieve said.

He told commissioners Hogle would continue to work on the application.

Because Montana was declared a disaster area following floods in 2011, projects in the state are eligible for flood mitigation grants, Grieve said.

Commissioners decided to seek the grant to remove the bridge after spending nearly all of 2011 discussing a proposed rehabilitation effort for the bridge with members of First Best Place in Columbia Falls.

The county agreed to commit $600,000 in federal trails funds to the restoration project but First Best Place was unable to collect any matching funds by the September 2011 deadline set by the county.

However, earlier this month, the new director of First Best Place, Steve Paugh, told the Inter Lake the group still wants to restore the Red Bridge.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.