Missoula County is applying for federal grants and seeks public comment in order to replace five weakened and aging bridges in the Blackfoot and Swan Valleys. Construction could begin by 2027 on Boy Scout Bridge, Riverview Drive Bridge, Sunset Hill Bridge, Glacier Creek Bridge and Cold Creek Bridge.
Funding for the project is expected to come through two federal grants, Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and the Bridge Investment Program (BIP), as previously mentioned in the Pathfinder. The total cost estimate at this time is over $27 million.
“Upcoming preliminary engineering reports on Cold Creek Bridge and a geotech report on Boy Scout Bridge will tighten up the estimates,” Shane Stack, Missoula County Public Works Director, said.
Missoula County has received $1 million out of $10 million in state funds dedicated to matching grants for bridges to fund their portion of the five bridge project. Other needed funds will come from the Missoula County transportation program which is funded by property taxes and state gas tax allocations. The five bridges project will take away from budgets for other roads and equipment projects for several years.
“Replacement of bridges if RAISE and/or BIP grant applications are successful is well within reason,” Stack said.
The application for RAISE monies will be submitted by Missoula County in late February 2024, and the BIP application in mid March. Decisions are expected by the summer of 2024 with an agreement finalized by the summer of 2025. Missoula County has hired DJ&A Consulting in Missoula for assistance with the BIP grant process.
“I expect project delivery to take the remainder of 2025, and all of 2026, with advertising for construction in early 2027, and construction in 2027 and 2028,” Stack said. “That is the best-case scenario, and completion could be later than that.”
“The 2020 Missoula County gas tax increase of $0.02 per gallon was projected to contribute $1.2 million annually for Missoula County transportation maintenance, but was unfortunately vetoed in 2021 by (Montana Governor Greg) Gianforte,” Stack said.
The condition of these five bridges speak to the need for repairs and replacement. Inspections indicate that they are outdated concerning safety concerns, lack load capacity and lack compliance with current design and safety standards.
Replaced and updated bridges will be designed to support community connectivity and accessibility for social and emergency needs, environmental concerns such as streambank erosion and minimizing effects to local ecosystems as well as complying with current and relevant environmental regulations.
“By addressing the critical need to replace these five high-priority bridges, the Missoula County bridges project aims to ensure the long-term safety, economic prosperity and connectivity of the county while promoting responsible stewardship of public resources and the environment,” Stack said.
“Public outreach is part of the scoring criteria for the grants,” Stack said.”Letters of support can make a difference.”
Letters demonstrating interest and support for repairing and/or replacing bridges in your area can be written to Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, for the Missoula County five bridges project.
Letters should be sent to Megan Redmond at DJ&A Consulting, megan.redmond@djanda.com, as a signed PDF attachment or can be mailed as a signed hard copy to their offices at 2000 Maple St, Missoula, MT 59808.
Contact Shane Stack for a sample draft letter to use sstack@missoulacounty.us.
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