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Commissioners approve Section 106 programmatic agreement for McLean, South Avenue bridges
Summary
Missoula County agreed to be an invited signatory on a Section 106 programmatic agreement related to the McLean Bridge and proposed South Avenue Bridge; presenters said signing assigns county responsibilities for cultural and archaeological obligations and feeds into NEPA and a 4(f) review.
Missoula County commissioners voted to approve becoming an invited signatory to a Programmatic Agreement under Section 106 that lays out responsibilities for archaeological, cultural and historical resources related to the existing McLean Bridge and the proposed South Avenue Bridge.
Presenter Jason Mitt told the commission that State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the Federal Highway Administration have already signed the agreement, and that "if Missoula County chooses to sign, again, we're an invited signatory on this document." He described county obligations including using qualified contractors for any dismantling work, protecting sensitive cultural-resource information, participating in public stakeholder engagement and joining dispute-resolution and amendment processes outlined in the agreement.
Mitt said the programmatic agreement feeds into the National Environmental Policy Act process and the related 4(f) environmental review; he added that MDT has drafted the 4(f) and that the 4(f) could take a couple of months with a categorical exclusion possibly late summer, though the presenter cautioned that the categorical exclusion is a separate decision.
A commissioner asked when the next steps would arrive; the presenter confirmed the sequence leads to eventual bridge replacement if the environmental reviews and approvals proceed. The commission moved to approve the programmatic agreement and approved it by voice vote.
The agreement assigns responsibilities to signatories but does not itself constitute a NEPA decision or authorization to proceed with construction; staff said additional environmental and legal clearances remain required.
