MDT plans to repair bridge in west end

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is developing plans to rehabilitate the bridge on Montana Highway 200 over Montana Rail Link, two miles south of Noxon. The bridge was constructed in 1957 and is in need of repairs and routine upkeep.

Phase one of the project began in 2020 with a bridge evaluation. The project is now in phase two that began in 2021. MDT held a public meeting on Zoom last Thursday to present design plans to the public.

Brent Schiller with Forsgren Associates, who was contracted by MDT for the design phase of the project, said prior to design plans being drafted, they first had to evaluate the condition of the bridge. The design team looked at the current driving surface of the bridge deck, they verified past inspection reports, gathered input from local maintenance staff on bridge issues and determined the most cost-effective route to take for repairs.

Schiller said he spoke with local MDT staff who provided input that helped determine what repairs were needed. Forsgren Associates concluded a complete removal and full replacement of the bridge deck was needed and would also be the most cost-effective repair to make.

“We will not be closing the bridge,” Dan Garz of Forsgren Associates said. “You will still have access. The project is only 700 feet long.” Garz says there will be a temporary traffic signal during nighttime hours and a flagger during the day. There will also be temporary barriers placed down the middle of the bridge to separate phase one and phase two of the construction zones.

MDT projects require the preparation of an environmental document under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Montana Environmental Policy Act. The MDT 200 Bridge Preservation Project required a Categorical Exclusion, which was approved in March, 2022.

MDT is in the process of finalizing the design plans, which are anticipated to be completed in 2023. “Once complete, construction of the project will be scheduled based on the availability of funding,” Public Involvement Manager Brandon Coates said. Once funding is secured, Coates said the project will go out to bid.

For more information on the bridge project, visit http://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/mt200bridge.