Residents: make bridge beautiful

PABLO — Montana Department of Transportation representatives last Thursday presented a rough picture of the planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge that will span U.S. Highway 93 near mile marker 51 in Pablo during a preconstruction public comment meeting.

MDOT Missoula district bridge area engineer Nigel Mends showed the latest rendering of the 14-foot wide bridge, lined from top to bottom with chain link fencing. The bridge is anchored by significant concrete, spiraled ramp structures and will have a 17-foot high clearance. Mends also explained how utility lines and existing roadway features would fit into the project’s plan.

The concrete ramps are planned to be 50 by 100 feet wide, and stand where the existing bike path crosses the highway. The ramps in the rendering had been moved from an original spot slightly north. The project is slated to begin this fall. 

Most of the nearly 15 residents attending community members wondered if there was a way to make the bridge’s design, that is projected to cost $2.5 million, more reflect the community.

Pablo resident Gary Noland brought up the “beautification” idea, saying the bridge should be made to be “something that is of interest to the whole community.

“We’re going to be driving under it forever,” Noland said.

Noland showed pictures of a walking bridge in Vancouver, Wash., that is accented with native plants, cultural designs and historical kiosks to make it a focal point of the area. Noland suggested the timeline for construction is not as important as putting “some culture and community” into the project.

Mends couldn’t speak to how the “beautification” ideas would or could be incorporated into the plan, but said the comments will be processed and taken into consideration.

“I want to make sure you understand this is highly preliminary,” Mends said during his initial presentation. Later he said significant changes to the plan could severely delay its construction.

“It might be worthwhile to look into more concepts,” Tribal Council member Kevin Howlett said. “This ought to be something that resembles the culture.”

Howlett noted that the plan had “fast tracked,” and only been presented to the council “less than a year ago.”

Howlett suggested moving the project start date back to spring 2010 so more community and culturally representative features could be added to the project.

Tribal chairman James Steele Jr. “wholeheartedly agreed” with Noland and other speakers. Steele said the bridge should have “character to it,” so area kids could “safely cross . . . this (bridge) for many years to come.”

Noland, a landscape architect for Glacier National Park, said after the meeting that the Pablo area has many resources that could lend a hand to make the bridge reflect the community and to make it “an experience to go down.”

All comments from the meeting will be processed by MDOT.

Alternate opinions, comments and concerns may be submitted in writing at the meeting, by mail to Shane Stack, Missoula district preconstruction engineer at MDOT, Missoula district office at P.O. Box 7039, Missoula MT  59807-7039, or online at www.mdt.mt.gov/mdt/comment_form.shtml, indicate comments are for project CN 6594 and submit comments by March 5.