New South Fork Bridge in Bad Rock Canyon will open Dec. 18

The new $13.2 million U.S. Highway 2 Bridge over the South Fork of the Flathead in Hungry Horse will open Dec. 18 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and other festivities at noon.

The Hungry Horse and Martin City fire departments held a raffle earlier this fall to see who would get to cross the bridge first. Tickets were $1 and raised money for the departments.

Construction of the new bridge started in June 2017 by Great Falls contractor Sletten Construction.

The new bridge features a separated pedestrian and bicycle crossing and will also have improved access to the South Fork. The road approaching the bridge has also been widened with broader shoulders.

The old bridge didn’t have a sidewalk or bike lane and was too narrow. It will be torn down in the coming months.

It was built in 1938, Bob Vosen, Montana Department of Transportation district construction engineer.

“It was a tremendous structure, but it was built to a different era of vehicle,” he said. “Taxpayers got their money out of it.”

All of the funds from the raffle will go toward the fire departments for safety and other equipment.

A drawing to determine the winners is Dec. 13 at the Martin City Fire Hall.

Once the ceremony is completed, the road will be open to traffic.

Contractors will finish up the remainder of the work, like seeding and landscaping next spring, Vosen noted.