A new path along Four Mile Drive will open this fall for student athletes, families and nearby residents to enjoy.  

Construction is underway on a shared-use path that will start from the existing sidewalk at Foxglove Drive, run along the Kidsports Complex and connect to another path at Champion Way to the east.  

Work began Aug. 12. The contractor, Kalispell-based Strods Contracting, was expected to finish the project in 60 days, but completion may take slightly longer owing to a delivery delay, according to Kalispell Deputy Public Works Director Keith Haskins.  

A six-foot-tall retaining wall with a handrail will be installed between the sidewalk and the athletic complex. A four-foot grass boulevard is being placed between the new curb and the path.  

Champion Way will also see a new crosswalk with flashing beacons.  

Nearly 90% of the funding for the roughly $1.3 million project came from the Transportation Alternatives Program, a competitive state grant. The funds were awarded to Kalispell back in September 2023 but weren’t allocated by the Montana Department of Transportation until March 2025. The grant covers about $975,000 of the project cost.  

The Bloomstone development north of Four Mile Drive is fronting $123,500 of the cost with the city contributing the remaining $27,600, according to Haskins.   

The original price tag for the entire project was expected to be around $700,000, but the lowest bid came from Strods Contracting at more than $1 million. Council, during a May meeting, determined that rebidding would not bring about a lower cost, as the other bids were a similar price.   

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].