The remaining balance associated with development of part of the Willow Glen trail recently was paid to Flathead County.

Members of the Sam Bibler Commemorative Trails Project committee gave county commissioners $6,214, which paid off the 13.42 percent match that sponsoring groups are required to pay for county trails projects.

The trail ended up costing more than pre-construction estimates pegged it to cost, meaning the volunteer group had to find more money to pay its required percentage. In the end, volunteers contributed $78,000 of the $581,000 project cost.

The Sam Bibler group already is planning its next trails project, committee members told commissioners. They want to connect the Montessori School on Willow Glen Drive to the existing trail, a distance of four-tenths of a mile.

The estimated cost for that stretch of trail is $200,000, committee member Terry Welder said. That would mean the committee would have to pay $27,000 if the trail is built through the county’s trails program.

Applications for the next round of funding for county trails projects won’t be considered until October.

On another trails issue, commissioners agreed to submit an application to the Montana Department of Transportation to build another stretch of the Swan River trail .

The Bigfork Rotary Club is the sponsoring group for the two-segment trail project. The club wants to construct a total of 1.5 miles of trail on the east side of Swan River Road.

A survey to determine if there are adequate easements along the path hasn’t yet been conducted, county Planner Alex Hogle told commissioners. But, he said, it appears easements are adequate.

A “very preliminary” cost estimate for the trail is $300,000, Hogle said. That estimate is based on lineal distance and doesn’t necessarily take into account the rolling topography along the route.

He said the project could cost more. Because this trail has two segments, separated by an existing stretch of trail, it could be developed in two stages, Hogle said.

If approved, the bulk of the trail would be funded with money allocated to the county from the state transportation department. The county anticipates receiving $300,000 from the Community Transportation Enhancement Program for this trail.

The length of the trail can be shortened to lower the cost, Hogle said, or the design and engineering work for both sections could be done at one time, but only one leg constructed.

Under that scenario, the county could use more state funds toward construction in a later year to finish the project.

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