Click images to enlarge

The old highway 200 bridge, built in 1926 under reservoir conditions, had to be removed because it would not be stable once the Blackfoot River became free flowing. The Redevelopment Working Group submitted a grant proposal to NRDP on behalf of the county to replace the bridge with a new one which would not have piers in the channel.

Since the NRDP does not fund historic preservation projects, the bridge design did not match the historic nature of the old bridge. Unhappy citizens lobbied the County Commissioners to retain the historic look of the old bridge. A new design utilizing a span of the old bridge but without piers in the river pleased everyone, but cost $2 million more than had been raised.

To meet the shortfall, the Commissioners diverted $1 million designated for new trails from the Transportation funds secured for the County by the Working Group in an earlier grant request. EPA furnished the rest of the funding shortfall.

The new Black Bridge was dedicated in November, 2008.