Our Viewpoint

Last week, several residents attended the open house with Montana Department of Transportation to hear about the options for repairing the Clark Fork River bridge in Trout Creek.

The options aren't ideal. They both involve closing the brige for several weeks. It means people who live and work on opposite sides of the bridge will have a very long commute. It will have an effect on people visiting the area.

But just as residents and tourists adapted to the road construction between Thompson Falls and Plains this summer, so will we adapt to the Trout Creek bridge project.

The project is essential to the safety of our residents and visitors. Yes, it's going to be an inconvenience. Last week, we were brainstorming ideas for residents. Maybe someone with a pontoon boat should ferry people from North Shore to the Trout Creek boat launch and then a bus could take people to Thompson Falls. In larger cities, people utilize ride shares and even car shares to get where they need to go.

The project will be an inconvenience, but the end result will be much better for the community and safer for those traveling over the bridge. As for the two options, we would vote for closing the bridge for six straight weeks. Get the work done and get travel back to normal.