Noxon discusses bridge options

The Noxon community showed up Tuesday to hear what's being done about the bridge leading into their town and find out what they can do to help the effort.

Tuesday's meeting brought more than 60 people to the Noxon fire hall to hear from local officials, as well as engineers working with the county to find solutions for the deteriorating 102-year-old bridge. In July, the bridge was closed for a week after a routine inspection by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) found two cracks in the structure. The bridge inspection schedule was changed this year from the standard every-other-year inspection to yearly, stated MDT District Administrator Bob Vosen.

Commissioner Tony Cox commended Kent Neal and Neal Structural Repair, a Noxon company, for working to get the bridge reopened so quickly. Vosen then told the public that "it is unheard of" to get a bridge reopened in a week and gave Cox credit for finding contractors and getting the bridge open to the public.

Engineer Jim Scoles with Morrison Maierle provided some history of the bridge, as well as initial findings from the report commissioned by the county earlier this year. The report provided options for deck resurfacing and bridge replacement, with the ultimate recommendation of a full bridge replacement.

The meeting was put on by volunteers within the Noxon community. Heather Mercer facilitated the meeting. "I'm just a concerned citizen, like I expect most of you are," she said as the meeting started.

Commissioner Cox started by giving a recap of the Heron bridge project, which first started in planning in 2010, and was completed in 2018 at a cost of $16 million. Initial planning for the Noxon bridge estimates the cost at $20-$30 million. None of the officials at Tuesday's meeting would give a definite timeline for replacing the Noxon bridge. Cox said it is the number one priority for the county, but there is a lot to be done, even if funding is found. Both Cox and Vosen mentioned planning such as right of ways and environmental factors, but Vosen said any of the planning that is done now could make the project more competitive for grants.

Scoles said Morrison Maierle identified the federal Bridge Improvement Program (BIP) as the best option for the Noxon bridge. The application for that grant is in October 2025. He also mentioned that money is available in the state through Senate Bill 536, passed by the 2023 legislature, which provides funding for bridges off the MDT system, which includes the Noxon bridge.

"The Noxon bridge is definitely one of the congressman's top priorities," said Steve Howke with Rep. Zinke's office, who was unable to attend the meeting but spoke with The Ledger by phone. He said the legislative priorities have not been set up yet, but Zinke is making the bridge a priority. Howke said he has visited the bridge three times and Rep. Zinke was at the bridge to assess the situation in October.

When the county hired Morrison Maierle to conduct a study regarding the bridge earlier this year, Cox said the focus was on repairing the bridge deck. The MDT inspection that closed the bridge occurred just days before Morrison Maierle released their report to the county. After the MDT closure, the county shifted focus to a full bridge replacement. "After the reopening we've been working with Morrison Maierle to try and get funding and work with the state. We don't want to wait, so we're moving ahead looking at grants," Cox stated. "To be honest, these things take a long time and I want to put us in the best position. This is going to happen. We are doing everything we can to make sure a new bridge gets built." Cox added the county has around $4 million earmarked as match money for the Noxon bridge.

Residents asked when the bridge will close again. Fire chief Jim Byler said the community needs to come up with a plan if the bridge closes. "The county has no plans to close the bridge," Cox replied. "It's critical that people obey weight and speed limits. It will preserve the life of the bridge until we can get a plan in place." Vosen reiterated that people obey bridge restrictions. "I can't stress enough how critical it is to take care of what you've got." Byler stated that an empty bus is 38,000 gvw, over the weight limit for the bridge, and that they are considering bringing in lighter buses.

Officials reiterated that the bridge is safe to use as long as restrictions are followed. "The bridge was inspected two weeks ago and nothing was unsafe other than the deck," Scoles stated. Residents had suggestions including putting additional signage at the bridge, lowering the speed limit on Highway 200 and adding flashing speed signs like those recently installed in Thompson Falls.

MDT's Vosen stressed that bridge concerns are not a local or state problem, but a national problem. He pointed out that Bigfork has a bridge that has been closed for 18 months, and Missoula County has three bridges actively closed. 'The bridge needs for the state of Montana are tremendous," he said.

Mercer asked if the county would consider building a temporary bridge. Cox commented that a temporary bridge would use up the money set aside for matching grant funds.

Residents asked what else they could do to help. Sen. Denley Loge suggested writing letters to Rep. Zinke's office. Andrew Cabbacang also stated that a group will have addresses and sample letters for writing to Congress at 1 p.m. Jan. 4, at the Senior Center.