The ongoing question of access to the Bridgeport bridge has again bubbled up between the Bureau of Land Management, Mesa County and the Union Pacific Railroad.

The Bridgeport bridge takes hikers over the Gunnison River to BLM land that is now the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area, south and west of Whitewater.

“The railroad doesn’t want public access,” said Commissioner Craig Meis. “I have some very serious concerns about that.”

Hikers access the area by first parking their cars, walking a distance, crossing the railroad tracks and then walking across a bridge built and dedicated in 2006.

The bridge was built to replace a “rickety old bridge” that was privately owned, Lloyd said. The bridge was built to maintain historic access to public lands.

It may be a new bridge, but it’s not a new issue, said Mel Lloyd, spokeswoman for the BLM.

“BLM’s been attempting to develop a formal agreement since the mid-80s,” she said. “BLM’s main goal is public access.”

In an effort to establish safe public access, the federal agency this year obtained funding and approval to reroute the trail, but hasn’t yet received approval from the Union Pacific, Lloyd said.

“With the new bridge, visitorship to the area has increased tremendously,” Lloyd said.

“Far more people are visiting that area because of the safe access.”

Over the years, the BLM has dealt with various railroad employees, Lloyd said.

When the agency planned and built the new bridge, from 2004-06, it dealt with the railroad as well, Lloyd said.

The railroad could not be reached for this article.

Reach Marija B. Vader at mvader@gjfreepress.com.