Construction of the Baker Avenue pedestrian underpass began earlier this month.

The City of Whitefish is constructing the long-planned underpass to create a connection between downtown and the railway district. The underpass will span under Baker Avenue connecting the city’s path off Railway Street to Depot Park.

The construction cost for the underpass is $1.6 million and the contractor is LHC, Inc.

Public Works Director Craig Workman says the project is being conducted in two phases in order to maintain two-way traffic over the viaduct.

The first phase involves the construction of the eastern half of the underpass and is expected to run into early October. The second phase involves construction of the western half, allowing traffic to drive over the portion of the underpass completed in the first phase.

The design calls for a concrete underpass spanning 20 feet wide with wing walls designed to have a stone look. The underpass will also include lighting for safety and to accent the decorative stone. Work is expected to continue until the project is complete or winter conditions make it unrealistic to continue, according to Workman. The underpass is expected to open to pedestrians by Nov. 30. Final landscape restoration will likely take place in spring of 2021.

The city’s downtown master plan and bicycle and pedestrian master plan both call for the construction of the underpass to serve as a link connecting the Railroad District to Central Avenue, and also as a critical link in the city’s bike path system. The city is using tax increment finance funds to pay for the underpass.

BNSF last year granted the city access to construct the underpass, and City Council subsequently authorized city staff to design the project.