The newly opened South Fork bridge across U.S. 2 in Hungry Horse will undergo repairs to the bridge deck next spring to repair light surface damage that occurred while concrete was setting.

Before the concrete was able to completely harden, footprints were made by crews applying blankets to prevent the deck from freezing, according to a Montana Department of Transportation press release.

Great Falls contractor Sletten Construction will cover the cost of the repairs — no taxpayer dollars will be involved to correct the damage. Sletten Construction and the Montana Department of Transportation are in the process of identifying the best method to repair the bridge deck. The onset of winter forced crews to delay repairs.

“Those footprints will hold moisture and would reduce the life expectancy of the surface of the deck. That’s why we’re going to have to do repairs in the spring,” said Bob Vosen, the Missoula district construction engineer for the Montana Department of Transportation. “We’re working together to come up with the best possible solution to ensure that the bridge deck is fully repaired. Sletten has been a great partner over the course of this project.”

In the meantime, traffic will continue to flow across the South Fork bridge. Despite the cosmetic damages, the structure itself is completely fit to carry traffic and is a substantial safety improvement over the old structure, which had been in service for 80 years, state highway officials said. The new bridge opened to the public on Dec. 18 and includes improvements such as a shared-use path and wider shoulders.