GREAT FALLS – A project in Great Falls that has been in the works since the mid-1990s will soon get started.
This project is a part of the River’s Edge Trail under the railroad bridge on River Drive South.
River’s Edge Trail Foundation President Bruce Pollington said, “It’s always been a really difficult transition getting from the trail upstream to the trail downstream and the transition under the railroad bridge is equally difficult and expensive, so that’s why it’s taken so long for us to get to that. But, it’s vital to the connection of the trail throughout the city.”
Pollington added that while this problem has been looked at since the start of the trail, it has been so challenging and expensive to solve that they have been spending their money on other trail projects.
But, it is now finally happening because it is becoming too critical to not get it done.
With help of Scheels and various other local businesses in Great Falls, funds have come together to get the project done.
Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will be doing the construction on the trail.
Pollington said, “What we presented to them is conceptual, architectural plans, engineering plans of the entire site. But, now they have to go back and re-assess the location.”
After re-assessing the site, MDT will then put it into their construction timeline.
Although there is no exact estimated time for the project being completed Pollington anticipates that MDT will at minimum asses the site and work on their final plan this summer. He added, “Whether they’ll actually start moving some dirt this summer, I hesitate to guess, maybe.”
Reporting by Kasey Herman for MTN News
