A ribbon of light will soon run through Missoula as crews get ready to flip the switch on the Bitterroot Trail's new lighting system.
The Missoula Redevelopment Agency launched the project earlier this year as part of its improvement plan for Urban Renewal District II. The illuminated stretch of trail will extend roughly 2.7 miles through the heart of the city.
“They're just finishing things up, so we expect that they'll be completely finished by the end of October, or early November,” said Annette Marchesseault, project manager with MRA. “We want to make sure it's all hooked up before we announce that the project is complete.”
The City Council last year approved a list of projects that MRA looks to complete before Urban Renewal District II sunsets in the coming years.
Along with infrastructure work and transforming the Bitterroot railroad trestle over the Clark Fork into a pedestrian bridge, installing lights along the Bitterroot Trail stood near the top of the project list.
“Public safety is really the underlying reason for the project,” said Marchesseault. “It also expands the hours of use that the trail can be used, especially now that we're going into the dark season.”
The project includes roughly 182 trail lights and a handful of street lights where the trail connects with pedestrian bridge over Reserve Street. Once the lights come on, they'll light the trail from the bridge north the Milwaukee Trail near the downtown district.
Marchesseault said the project was funded using revenue from both Urban Renewal Districts II and III. The project stands at around $1.7 million, which includes $1.6 million for construction and $600,000 for design and engineering.
“It's one of our top priorities in the two districts,” Marchesseault said. “It's being paid for out of both districts proportionately.”
Distict II encompasses the West Broadway Corridor, the Old Sawmill District and the central neighborhood. It will expire in eight years and MRA is racing to complete several major projects before that date.
Together they include housing, infrastructure and work along the Clark Fork River, among other goals. The city is planning a celebration event when it flips the switch on the Bitterroot trail lights.
“It took us a little longer to get on NorthWestern Energy's calendar than we had anticipated,” Marchesseault said. “We'll celebrate something as a community when the project is complete.”
