Dover Bridge project gets under way

DOVER — It’s been rated among the worst bridges in the nation.

Wednesday, state and local officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Dover Bridge and bid farewell to the aging structure it is replacing.

“The long-awaited start of work on this project reflects my determination to address the deferred, delayed and still growing backlog of maintenance, repair and improvement needs on Idaho’s roads and bridges,” Idaho Gov. Butch Otter said. “This is not a quick fix but it’s a necessary part of government’s long-term responsibility to our citizens. From now on, let the Dover Bridge be a symbol of that commitment.”

Projects like the Dover Bridge mean success for Idaho by boosting the state’s bottom line, and by providing jobs and building safer roads and bridges, Otter said.

“The Dover Bridge is exactly the kind of project that reflects the need for us to think long-term about our road and bridge needs, and our responsibility for addressing them,” he said. “This isn’t a quick fix, and our approach to this issue can’t be either.”

Work to replace the Dover Bridge began 30 years ago and, while rated as one of the worst bridges in the country, it is symbolic of the many bridges and roads in the state needing attention.

A strong infrastructure is critical to state commerce, Otter said. With its narrow, two-lane overhead structure and 35-speed limit, the Dover Bridge is a bottleneck for east-west traffic and for business.

“Idaho is a merchant state,” Otter said. “We can’t eat all of the french fries that Simplot produces, we can’t use all the computer chips that Micron builds and we can’t use all the lumber products from our forests. We need a strong infrastructure to deliver those products.”

For once, Dover Mayor Randy Curless said he was speechless. He’d always hoped the Dover Bridge would be replaced by something more modern and safe, but funding always seemed to get in the way.

“I am without words for the first time today,” Curless joked to the more than 100 people attending the groundbreaking ceremony. “I am in a bit of shock because I never thought this would happen.”

Curless said many people worked long and hard to make a new Dover Bridge a reality. From publicity from Popular Mechanics magazine and a History Channel documentary to state, federal and local officials keeping the project at the forefront, there is a long list of people to thank for the project, Curless said.

The 72-year-old bridge was built for 10 tons and is still serving the public and 50-ton loads 30 years after funding was first sought, Curless said. Its replacement, along with the bridge over Lightning Creek at Clark Fork, will connect Montana and Washington through Idaho with a safe and expedient route.

“This will stimulate the economy in both the short and the long term,” Curless said. “We have waited a long time for this day but it is here. Thank all of you who helped make it happen.”

The importance of the Dover Bridge to the state’s transportation system cannot be understated, said Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint,  praising Dover officials and residents for working to make a new bridge a reality.

She recalled a field trip by the North Idaho Chamber of Commerce to see the bridge. The bus, packed with legislators, got stuck in traffic when a log truck hit the bridge and spilled its load over both lanes, which shut down the highway until the mess could be cleaned up.

Keough also praised state officials, including Otter and transportation department staff, for helping move the project along and understanding its importance.

“It’s a vital link in our transportation system,” she added.

Bonner County Economic Development Director Karl Dye echoed Otter’s remarks, pointing Litehouse Dressing and Thorne Research, whose trucks use Highway 2 to move product and Quest Aircraft, which used aluminum shipped from Spokane to build its Kodiak airplane.

“This corridor is critically important,” Dye said.