August 20, 2009
Tribes to construct $3.2 million pedestrian bridge
PABLO — Last week the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes announced that it will construct a biker-access footbridge that spans U.S. Hwy. 93 between Salish Kootenai College and the Tribal Complex.
The $3.22 million project will be completed by the end of 2010. The span alone is nearly 200 feet.
“This is awesome. It’s not only big in dollars, but everyone who drives 93 for the next 50 years will see this structure,” Mike Brown, Safety of Dams Coordinator/Roads Program Manager for CSKT said.
Highway traffic slows to 45 miles per hour in Pablo, but this project addresses improved pedestrian safety and convenience, the tribes said in a press release. The project, formally known as the Pablo Bike/Ped Overcrossing, is a Community Transportation Enhancement Project (CTEP) that is funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enhancement funds. The funds will be allocated by the Montana Department of Transportation.
Brown expects work will begin as soon as January.
The funding pays for the entire project cost including design, right-of-way expenses, relocation of utilities if needed. There will be a span across the highway, landings on both ends of the abutment and ramps for bikes that will be ADA compatible.
Managers are working now to develop a design that captures a tribal architectural theme, Brown said.
“We want to make it look tribal, if you will,” Brown said. “We’ve retained the architect to blend into the SKC-CSKT complex so it’s something everyone will like to see.” |
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