City Commissioners voted during their July 15 meeting to amend their agreement with the Montana Department of Transportation for the River’s Edge Trail relocation project along River Drive South.

The River’s Edge Trail Foundation, City of Great Falls and other groups have struggled for nearly 30 years to find a way to reroute the convoluted jog the trail makes behind the police department, water park and crosses two active rail lines.

In 2013, the foundation commissioned a $16,000 comprehensive site evaluation from TD&H Engineering.

The trail rerouting project was included in the Transportation Improvement Program document in 2018.

In March 2019 , the foundation and other community donors, including Scheels, celebrated raising $250,000 toward the project. Those funds will be used toward matching the federal dollars.

Open house scheduled on planned River’s Edge Trail reroute project [2022]

Commissioners heard a presentation during their June 2016 work session from city staff on a proposal to build a segment of the River’s Edge Trail along River Drive South from Broadwater Bay north to the Electric City Water Park.

At the time, commissioners expressed support and directed staff to work with MDT and the River’s Edge Trail Foundation to fund, design and construct the project.

The Montana Department of Transportation’s Montana Air Congestion Initiative-Guaranteed Program sets aside some of those funds for eligible projects, which are bike and pedestrian projects, that are identified through the local transportation planning process, Andrew Finch, the city’s transportation planner, told The Electric in 2019.

In November 2019, commissioners approved an agreement with MDT, outlining costs and obligations for the project to initiate the project that will eliminate the “the circuitous route through the police station parking lot, a currently dangerous location due to the potential for conflicts between vehicles and bicyclists/pedestrians.”

Commissioners approved agreements to start River’s Edge Trail reroute near Broadwater Bay [2019]

The city also signed an agreement with the River’s Edge Trail Foundation, which committed to contributing the estimated match of $26,000.

The project is now nearing completion of design with updated cost estimates and an amendment was needed to the city’s agreement with MDT to outline revised financial cost commitments and update the project description.

The project next moves to right-of-way and utility negotiations.

The project includes about 2,200 feet of shared use trail for bicycles and pedestrians on the west side of River Drive South adjacent to the Missouri River.

Some portions of the trail will extend into the river, supported by a river wall.

River’s Edge Trail reroute project on Nov. 19 commission agenda [2019]

“The portions of the project that involve the river wall do make the project more complicated to design, fund and construct. Additionally, a portion of River Drive South will be rebuilt and moved slightly to the east, to accommodate the new trail alignment,” according to city staff.

The current route of the trail is confusing and difficult to navigate.

The new segment will be a straight, direct connection.

Once the project is completed, Great Falls Park and Recreation will assume responsibility for maintenance as part of the full trail system.

The project is being developed with MDT and is designed by TD&H, with city staff involvement.

Project to reroute River’s Edge Trail reaches fundraising milestone [2019]

A portion of River Drive South between the railroad bridge and Applebee’s will be shifted to the east to allow for trail construction without significant riverbank impacts, a move that will be slightly more cost effective rather than a longer length of trail impacting the river and riverbank, according to city staff.

The estimated cost of the project in 2019 was $1,976,257.

Of that cost, 86.58 percent, or $1,711,043, was to be funded by the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program.

The River’s Edge Trail Foundation secured donations and financial commitments for the initial $266,000 in match, but since the project cost has increased significantly, more financial contributions are needed.

The estimated cost is now $5,226,000, an increase of $3,249,743.

Because of the addition of roadway reconstruction, MDT has agreed to provide a portion of the matching dollars and the Great Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization has agreed to the commitment of additional CMAQ dollars for the project.

Since cost estimates are better known now that the project design is finalized and costs have increased, the city is being asked to contribute up to $275,000, which has been included in the Park and Rec budget for this fiscal year.

In 2022, MDT held an open house on the project and at the time, city staff indicated there may be a need for the city to consider providing some of the matching funds but no city funding source had been identified.