Missoula commissioners approve ballot measure asking voters to authorize $1.8 million levy for roads, bridges and trails

Missoula County commissioners voted July 30 to place a measure before county voters asking for authorization to levy $1,800,000 annually for construction, repair and maintenance of county roads, bridges and shared-use paths.

Chris Lounsbury, Missoula County chief administrative officer, and Jason Mitchell, public works director, framed the request as a response to an acute funding gap for local road and bridge maintenance and to improve the county—s ability to provide local match on state and federal grants. "We really do have a number of big challenges facing the county in this area of public infrastructure," Lounsbury said, pointing to weight-limited bridge closures, deteriorating pavement and increased shared-use paths that require maintenance.

Mitchell detailed the county—s infrastructure inventory and budgets: Missoula County manages about 450 miles of maintained roads (264 paved, 186 gravel), 61 bridges over 20 feet, 62…