BIGFORK — Montana Department of Transportation and Sletten Construction crews have been working hard on replacing Sportsman’s Bridge on Highway 82, just 3 miles northwest of Bigfork, since early August.
Once complete, the new bridge will span 706 feet across the Flathead River.
“So, the traveling public will be able to use the existing bridge and be able to watch us basically build this new bridge adjacent to it,” said Sletten Construction Project Manager Zac Zupan.
Watch to learn about the work being done to replace Sportsman’s Bridge:
The current Sportsman’s Bridge is a narrow structure not designed to handle today’s larger vehicles and increased traffic caused by population growth in the Flathead Valley.
Zupan said the new bridge will meet that growth demand.
“The new bridge will be about 20 feet wider, so it will be 44 feet in width, so 12-foot lanes with 10-foot shoulders, so it will accommodate pedestrians,” said Zupan.
Zupan said crews are currently working on the foundation for the new bridge and are using a 300-ton crane to implement bridge piers.
“And we will drive 48-inch diameter pile about 300-feet down from the point that you can see above the water into the ground, we will do that 12 times for the intermediate piers in the river,” said Zupan.
The project will be completed in multiple phases with a tentative finish date of spring or summer of 2027.
“Basically, all our subcontracting partners will start to build the roadway up to the bridge and once we finish the bridge our plan is to shift traffic onto to that new bridge and then the next phase of construction after that is the demo of the existing bridge.”
Zupan is asking drivers in the Flathead to take it slow when driving through the bridge construction zone.
“Watch your speed, we have it posted at 35 miles per hour right now. It’s safe for traveling at 35 miles per hour, always be aware that there’s workers present, we’re going to work all winter,” said Zupan.
More information on the project can be found here.
