Officials cut ribbon to open Michel Bridge
Berl Tiskus
Snow frosts the Michel Bridge, which crosses the Pablo Feeder Canal on Michel Road, approximately three miles east of Ronan.
Berl Tiskus
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Councilman Leonard Gray, center, cut the ribbon on the new Michel Bridge. Also at the ceremony were Lake County Commission Bill Barron, left, Rick Kerr, Lake County Bridge Foreman, Richard Jackson, Lake County Bridge Department, Lake County Commissioner Gale Decker, Jay Garrick, Lake County Road Superintendent, Mike Brown, CSKT Roads Program Manager, and Mike Jensen, architect.
Berl Tiskus
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RONAN — The new Michel Bridge officially opened on Jan. 28. The bridge crosses the Pablo Feeder Canal on Michel Road, approximately three miles east of Ronan and north of Terrace Lake Road.
The bridge project was a collaboration among the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Lake County, the City of Ronan, and the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project.
Speaking at the bridge opening, Mike Brown, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Road Program Manager, said the former bridge was an old log and wooden plank bridge.
Approximately 17 residents live and lots of tribal and private land lies north of the bridge.
“The old wooden bridge had deteriorated to the point that essential services to the residents and such, such as ambulances, fire, propane, garbage and other heavier emergency and delivery vehicles would not the cross the bridge,” Brown said.
Additionally, the Ronan city water collection and treatment plant was situated on the other side of the bridge, and the city couldn’t get heavy equipment to the site.
The $361,000 bridge was funded with Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Reservation Road money. CSKT used the monies to hire a construction contractor; Lake County provided the right of way and permission to construct the bridge on their road system; the City of Ronan donated right of way land for the bridge; and the FIIP provided a construction permit.
The new bridge, 30 feet wide and 54 feet wide, has new concrete abutments, a concrete and tri-beam deck and approach and bridge guard rails. It is constructed to highway load standards and usable for any legal load vehicle, Brown said.
