SPOT bus opens new north-south route across the Long Bridge

Daily service intended to maintain access while pedestrian bridge is closed for safety

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

The Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit Authority announced it had established a new route June 12 with stops at the north and south ends of the Long Bridge, intended to maintain access while the pedestrian span is closed for repairs.

Idaho Transportation Department officials closed the pedestrian pathway of the Long Bridge due to safety concerns on June 5, and SPOT recognized a need to help ensure that pedestrians and bicyclists could still get across the bridge.

The new route is available with the first pickup at 7:30 a.m. at the south of the bridge at the former-Long Bridge Grill parking lot at 471600 U.S. 95, in Sagle, followed by another pickup at 10 a.m. geared toward morning commuters from Monday-Friday.

The drop-off location on the north end of the bridge will be at the Selkirk Loop Welcome Center, located at 213 E. Superior St., in Sandpoint.

The service will otherwise run seven days per week from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., with shuttle departures every 30 minutes from both locations.

All SPOT vehicles are ADA accessible and can accommodate a limited number of bicycles per trip. 

Officials established the current schedule based on initially anticipated demand for commuting and recreation. 

“We are hopeful to gauge public use as we go and are willing to make adjustments as needed to best fit the needs of the community,” SPOT Executive Director Donna Griffin stated. “Our goal is to make this service as convenient as possible to prevent people crossing with traffic on the vehicle side of the bridge.”

Barricades and signage block users from the pedestrian bridge at each end, though some bicyclists have opted to use the vehicle bridge to cross. That is allowed under the law, but ITD has warned against doing so for “obvious safety reasons.”

The pedestrian span, which was built in 1956 and converted to non-motorized use in 1981, is closed “indefinitely,” according to ITD, after inspectors discovered serious structural damage, including a portion where all the girder supports across a single pier were deteriorated “and recommended for 0% load bearing, which meant that there was a section of the bridge across its entire width that was not recommended to have any weight resulting resulting in the full closure,” ITD spokesperson Heather McDaniel told the Reader the week of the closure. 

While engineers are still assessing the work needed to repair the bridge — with the hope of ultimately restoring end-to-end access — in the meantime, SPOT services are provided at no cost for users and will be available to the general public. Passengers can view the shuttle’s location in real time through spotbus.org to enable trip planning and minimize wait times.

Those needing transportation across the bridge outside the posted schedule or stop locations are encouraged to contact SPOT at 208-263-3774.

“We recognize that the closure of the pedestrian path has created challenges for many people who rely on the bridge to get to their daily destinations,” stated ITD District Engineer Ryan Hawkins. “While this solution does not replace the experience or convenience of crossing the bridge directly on foot or by bicycle, it provides a valuable option and helps maintain a vital connection within our community.”

ITD also thanked SPOT for its effort to meet community needs.

“Their team immediately recognized the urgency of the situation and worked with us to identify a practical solution. This collaboration demonstrates what happens when local organizations come together to serve the community,” Hawkins added.