The Flathead County commissioners on Wednesday officially sealed the deal with the state Department of Transportation for a new one-lane bridge across the Swan River in Bigfork.

The commissioners signed a memorandum of agreement that gives the state the go-ahead to plan and construct a truss bridge that will replace the century-old one-lane steel bridge whose load limit has been capped at three tons due to deterioration.

The county will chip in $50,000, but the rest of the expense of the roughly $2 million project will be borne by the state, according to county Public Works Director Dave Prunty.

While funding for the bridge isn’t available in the state’s current five-year funding cycle, Prunty said state officials indicated 2024 “is the worst-case” [scenario] for construction. However, if the project is “shovel-ready” it could slide in earlier if there’s an opportunity, he added.

In the agreement, the county will continue to maintain the bridge and related fixtures, including sidewalks and approaches.

KLJ Engineering, which completed a feasibility study for the project, worked for a year with Bigfork residents, state and county officials to determine options for replacing the bridge. A steering committee recommended replacing the bridge with a similar model that maintains a steel truss overhead with one lane for traffic and a walking path.

Community sentiment weighed overwhelmingly toward keeping the historic feel of the one-lane bridge.

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