For two years since Yellowstone River flooding washed it away, Carbella Bridge north of Gardiner has been closed.
But as of noon on Friday, October 11, 2024, the first cars were able to cross the new bridge.
Arriving at the bridge, many cars were lined up on both ends, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to be the very first to cross.
"I think it looks awesome. It’s not just concrete on the sides like a lot of the new bridges, it’s got the little trestle design on it and I think it looks really good," says Bert Otis, an Emigrant resident.
- Train derails near Essex
- Juice bar opening in Great Falls
- Dogs die in Great Falls house fire
- Tony Roma's coming (back) to GF
The steel bridge was built in 1918 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Structures.
The original bridge was just one lane and not capable of carrying heavy loads. But the new one is much improved.
Jack Moreaux, superintendent with Battle Ridge Builders, says, "Well, it’s two lanes and it’s rated for capacity. The old bridge was de-rated, so people had to take a detour if they had any heavy loads."
Otis says anybody who lived across the bridge has spent the last two years taking a long detour from the Old Yellowstone trail.
"It adds about four miles of gravel to their journey and most of the time, our county roads aren’t real smooth," he noted.
As a board member for Paradise Valley’s fire district, Bert says the bridge will allow first responders to reach residents faster.
"We’ve never been able to cross this with our big rigs. Even the old bridge you couldn’t. So now we're going to be able to. Our response time to be able to come down here is going to be greatly improved," says Otis.
Moreaux says, "This is definitely the coolest project I’ve gotten to complete so far. The structure's beautiful. I’m glad we got to go with the truss bridge."
And despite a few bumps in construction, crews finished the bridge a month ahead of schedule.
"I’m glad these people get their bridge back," says Moreaux.
