Firm chosen for Noxon bridge planning

The county is taking the next step toward replacing the Noxon bridge.

Last week, Sanders County Commissioners voted to enter into a contract with Morrison Maierle to investigate further options for the bridge, seek funding and start planning for the project.

At a meeting last Monday, the engineering firm discussed the scope of the contract with commissioners. Branton Sorbel with Morrison Maierle said the company was brought on board in the spring of 2024 to look at deck replacement. While they were wrapping up the report with options and costs to extend the life of the deck, a Montana Department of Transportation inspection found cracks in two trusses and forced a weeklong shutdown of the bridge. Once the bridge was fixed and the closure rescinded, Sorbel said, "that brought up a big issue of where the bridge is overall. The idea gained steam from there to look into bridge replacement."

Last month, the county commissioners put out a request for proposals seeking an engineering firm to assist in evaluating, securing grants, design and other activities related to replacement of the bridge. The primary goal, according to the commissioners, is to obtain funding for final design and bridge replacement.

County Commissioner Tony Cox stated that Morrison Maierle was the only firm to submit a proposal.

"We want to be in a position that we are more shovel ready at the end of this with a grant application to rank high enough to increase our chances of getting a grant," Commissioner Dan Rowan said last week. "Anything we can do to increase our chances is our goal." Sorbel commented that Morrison Maierle has a good grant writing team and a good design team. "We will put together a good application. We have a full team to start looking at every aspect."

Commissioner Cox asked the firm for a priority list and associated costs. "We want to move ahead with whatever we can afford," he noted.

Steve Howke with Rep. Ryan Zinke's office also was on last week's call with the commissioners and said the Noxon bridge is one of the top priorities for the congressman, stating that they have successfully used earmarked funds to get projects done in Montana. "Rep. Zinke wants to help and make sure we can get this on the list," Howke told the commissioners, adding that he would like to submit a proposal to Congress this year versus waiting until 2026.

The next step in the process is to determine the scope of work for Morrison Maierle. The company has already worked to research some funding opportunities, and Sorbel said the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) funding seems to be the best match for the Noxon bridge. In 2024, the Montana Department of Transportation was awarded nearly $28.5 million for replacement of the Sportsman's Bridge on Highway 82 near Bigfork. But Sorbel said they will review any available funding opportunity. Jim Scoles with Morrison Maierle said that he received information from the Federal Highway Administration last week on two planning grants. He noted that the BIP funding requires a 20% local match.

In the meantime, the county has worked to improve signage at the Noxon bridge. The 10 mph signs have been moved closer to each end of the bridge and orange flags now draw attention to those signs. Rowan also said he wants to talk about a backup plan for the bridge. "Can we do anything between now and the replacement to fix the bridge?" Scoles responded Morrison Maierle would work with the county for emergency plans and possibly look at fixing the deck in some areas.

At a public meeting earlier in December, residents asked questions about the timeline of replacing the bridge. Scoles reiterated to the commissioners last Monday that the bridge could be replaced in "four years if everything fell into place. It's more likely five years, but there are a lot of ifs, ands and buts."