Historic bridge reopens with PPL Montana support

The reopening of the High Bridge will provide new access to public recreation sites owned by PPL Montana.

After nearly 20 years of planning, the historic High Bridge in Thompson Falls, Mont., is now open to the public thanks to support from PPL Montana and other community partners.

The recently reopened span, on the south side of Island Park in Thompson Falls, allows new pedestrian access to trails and other recreation sites owned and maintained by PPL Montana. PPL Montana provided cost-share funding and active support for this public project.

The High Bridge also leads to the observation deck overlooking the new fish ladder at PPL Montana’s Thompson Falls main channel dam, which will be dedicated Sept. 8, 2010. The fish ladder will reopen hundreds of miles of the upstream Clark Fork River and its tributaries for rare bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout and other fish species.

“The renovated bridge will be a great community resource that provides access for pedestrians and bikers to some nearby river recreation areas that PPL Montana maintains,” said Jon Jourdonnais, PPL Montana’s director of hydro licensing and compliance.

“The new bridge also connects south shore lands to Thompson Falls Island and the city of Thompson Falls and allows bikers and hikers to enjoy the river,” he said. “We’re proud to have played a key part in making this happen.”

Jourdonnais said the bridge, built in 1911 and closed in the 1970s because of safety concerns, used to be one of the main highways into Thompson Falls.

A dedication ceremony celebrates the reopening of the High Bridge, which was built in 1911. The bridge is included in Ride Idaho's bike route.

“Leveraging support from community partners and in-kind donations, Sanders County and the city of Thompson Falls took an old, unsafe and unusable structure and renovated it into what will be a popular community resource,” he said.

In August, more than 350 bicyclists are expected to travel over the bridge as part of Ride Idaho’s new bike route. The route will take them through the northwest part of Montana, and over High Bridge for the first time.