Chris Doerington, director of the Montana Department of Transportation, told the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee that his immediate priorities are staffing succession, maintaining an aging system of bridges and responding to rising infrastructure costs.

"People are the very most important part of what we do — our citizens and our employees," Doerington said, outlining values he wants the agency to follow as it implements projects across the state.

Doerington said the department faces a near-term workforce challenge: about 20% of MDT employees are currently eligible for retirement, prompting an emphasis on succession planning and streamlined project-delivery processes. He told the committee MDT intends to make internal improvements so projects are delivered efficiently despite higher construction costs for asphalt, concrete and steel.

The director highlighted bridges as a major concern. "We have many, many — thousands of bridges that need to be addressed either in rehabilitation or reconstruction," Doerington said, noting an especially aged inventory in local systems. Committee members were told that more than 1,200 bridges in the state were built between 1931 and 1941 and that maintenance must account for modern vehicle weights and axle loads.

Maintenance administrator John Swartz said MDT maintains roughly 25,000 lane miles of highways and manages tasks ranging from pothole repairs to snowplow operations. Dustin Rous, highways and engineering administrator, described how MDT uses traffic counts and axle-load measurements in pavement and structural design so new projects can account for current vehicle types and weights.

Safety outreach was presented as an actionable item. Doerington said MDT will reallocate some safety funds for public service announcements to remind motorists of the danger of passing stopped school buses. He referenced a prior 2023 legislative request from Representative Donovan Hawke and described the new outreach as a quick, springtime effort to reduce incidents while children are boarding and disembarking.

Aeronautics administrator Tim Conway briefed the committee on airport grant activity tied to House Bill 661 (2019). Conway said recent grant awards average about $2,900,000 and that this grant season match requests exceed $5,000,000 while MDT has roughly $3,100,000 available; federal funding availability also limits the program’s reach.

Committee members raised questions about roadway wear and fees. Senator Danley Logie and others discussed equivalent single-axle loading charts and whether gross vehicle weight (GVW) fees — last set in the late 1980s, committee members were told — should be revisited to reflect heavier vehicles and higher operating speeds. Doerington agreed MDT can provide data the committee requested, and the department noted existing charts that convert vehicle weight and axle configuration into equivalent pavement damage.

Committee Chair Rust Temple and members also discussed broadband and fiber opportunities along state highway corridors; Senator Greg Hunter offered to help pursue corridor fiber efforts given his telecommunications background.

Doerington closed by inviting committee members to departmental facilities tours (maintenance equipment and sign shops) so members can see operations and equipment firsthand.

Ending: The department committed to provide requested technical information — including equivalent single-axle loading data and further detail on bridge needs and aeronautics grant demand — to inform potential legislation or budget requests during the session.