Life in the Slow Lane - Old Steel Bridge

Bigfork's Old Steel Bridge - Bigfork, Montana

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What:
Old Steel Bridge 97 years old
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The Swan River near Bigfork was at first forded at low water and crossed by ferry in high water. In 1907 a wooden bridge was built. This bridge was replaced by the existing steel Pratt truss bridge in 1911. The “old steel bridge” was fabricated by the AY Bayne Company in a Minneapolis factory and shipped to the site on the Great Northern.

Why:
This bridge brings joy to the Bigfork locals all year ‘round. In winter the Bigfork Elves climb aboard cherry pickers to decorate it’s most high trusses with fresh garlands and lights. Decades old wooden elf decorations are placed to smile down from the entrances. Local artists often choose it for the Annual Bigfork Christmas Card scene. In summer, kids of all ages take huge delight in jumping from the side rails to the chilly Swan River below. There is just something very Montana about this. Passing motorists often shout words of encouragement to hesitant jumpers. On the occasional very hot afternoon it can be difficult to drive across the bridge for all the people standing on it.

This gem is a One Lane bridge. Yes, they still exist (even in The US!)
This bridge makes you slow down and remember your manners.
Newcomers to the bridge are often startled when they first encounter it and fail to notice the yield side on the high (west) side of the bridge. But missed (ignored) far more is the ‘One Car at a Time’ sign. For locals using this bridge it’s like a well rehearsed dance – you go, then I go. Turns are taken. There is no real rush to get across. Hands are waved. Heads are nodded. And, if no one is waiting on the other side, we will still wait for you to get across. What’s the hurry?

Where:
Turn east off Highway 35 onto Bridge Street at Trinity Village. Just past Sliters Park at the south entrance to the village of Bigfork, MT.

I hesitate to call it a restaurant because it’s not. There is only one table, the Chef’s Table! Private dining at its best – you, your guests, one wait staff and Josh. Reservations and early scheduling are imperative – but worth it!

For our Valentine’s Day dinner we allowed Josh free rein to create anything he wanted. Here’s what he came up with:

Knowing one lane bridge etiquette shows an intimate understanding of life in the slow lane.
Bigfork’s drivers are laid-back and courteous. It is proper etiquette to be courteous, and it also is the law. When approaching our one-lane bridge, slow down and yield if a vehicle, approaching in the opposite direction, is either on the bridge or just about to enter the bridge. If you are in a line of vehicles approaching the bridge, don't just join the train crossing the bridge. The local "rule of thumb" is one car over the bridge, then yield and give the car waiting on the other side of the bridge a chance to come across. Of course, not everyone will adhere to these rules, but then, not everyone visiting Montana truly feels the spirit of the west.