Glacier National Park officials are proposing to replace the Swiftcurrent Bridge that is the sole vehicle and pedestrian access to Many Glacier Hotel.

The park recently released a draft environmental assessment outlining the project. Public comments are due by March 17.

The preferred alternative is to replace the bridge (75 feet long with four supporting piers) with an 85-foot-long single-span bridge.

Park officials say the bridge, built in 1929 and 1930, is losing its structural integrity. The deck is severely damaged and the abutments and piers are in disrepair.

The bridge has limited capacity to handle high water due to the piers. It was overrun by the waters of Swiftcurrent Lake after heavy rainfall caused flooding throughout the park in November 2006.

Other problems with the bridge include a severely deteriorated concrete curb and sidewalk, loose or missing stone masonry and non-code-compliant utility lines that are suspended on the bridge.

The bridge provides the only vehicular and pedestrian access to the Many Glacier Hotel Historic District and the hotel, which is a national historic landmark.

If the bridge is not replaced, park officials warn that visitor access could be severely limited or even prohibited. The bridge is a contributing feature to the historic district and it has been determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The replacement bridge would be designed to be compatible with the historic and architectural characteristics of the historic district.

The environmental assessment and additional information are available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Swiftcurrent bridge.

Comments can be submitted directly through the website or mailed to: Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Swiftcurrent Bridge EA, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, MT 59936.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.