WHITEFISH — A crowd gathered in downtown Whitefish on Wednesday morning to celebrate major improvements made to the Baker Avenue Viaduct.
“This is a project that has been in the downtown master plan for about 15 years,” said City of Whitefish Public Works Director Craig Workman.
A safer and more effective way to explore Whitefish is officially wrapped up, as two months of construction work drastically changed the viaduct.
“Cuing people that you are entering the north side of Whitefish, it is a gateway, showing people that there is more to Whitefish than just downtown,” said Workman.
Check out the new and improved Baker Avenue Viaduct in Whitefish:
Workman said changes to the viaduct include enhanced landscaping, decorative lighting and widened pedestrian paths on both sides of the bridge.
“They used to be five feet wide; now they are ten feet wide, which allows two-way traffic for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
The viaduct improvement comes just four years after the completion of the underpass project.
“I think it adds quite a bit to the city; it’s a lovely improvement and aesthetically it’s just pleasing,” said Whitefish resident Rod Samdahl.
Samdahl, who rides his bike often through downtown, is looking forward to making more trips across the viaduct.
“I mean, why would you not? It’s a beautiful town and that viaduct and the path and walkways are just great.”
