by Marilyn Wolff, Stevensville
At the Town Council meeting on Thursday, December 8th, an agenda item caught my attention and I felt the need to express my concern for public safety crossing the old, wooden walking/biking bridge just before the larger highway bridge crossing the Bitterroot River. At the meeting, the Mayor stated the ownership was finally determined and held up a 2015 document signed by County Commissioner Jeff Burrows claiming county ownership. The Mayor encouraged people to call and write the commissioners about fixing the bridge. The town has no ownership per the Mayor to repair or rebuild the structure.
As a bike rider, I’ve often driven over the bridge and wondered who owns the structure, feeling it should be torn down and rebuilt; it is narrow and rapidly decaying. I believe the County should be held accountable for doing the work to make it safe.
I’d like to ask the Stevensville Town Council and Mayor to send a letter to the County Commissioners and cc Ravalli County State Representatives and the Montana Department of Transportation to bring this urgent public hazard to light and make a decision. Citizens look to town government to identify deficiencies and respond. It is important the Town Council memorialize this request to protect the town from future liability even without ownership. Without doing something of substance, nothing will happen, and one day there will be an accident and the county will have a bigger accident claim than paying for what’s needed now.