Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
MDT proposes removal of scour-critical Toston structure; locals press for pedestrian access and alternate egress
Loading...
Summary
Montana Department of Transportation told Broadwater County commissioners it will remove an old scour-critical bridge near Toston at state expense to avoid risk to a new Highway 287 crossing; residents urged MDOT and the county to plan alternate pedestrian routes, emergency egress and speed studies.
Montana Department of Transportation officials told Broadwater County commissioners on Nov. 8 that an old bridge at Toston has been designated "scour critical" and that MDT proposes removing the structure at MDT's expense to avoid the risk it could collapse and damage the nearby new Highway 287 crossing.
"MDT is here to propose removal of that structure at our cost," said Genoliva, the Butte District administrator for MDT. Ryan Dahlke, statewide reconstruction engineer, said replacement of the structure carries a planning-level estimate of about $10 million, while "removal of the structure is a tenth of that," though he said MDT would produce engineering estimates during project development.
MDT said the bridge's foundations sit on spread footings that can become undermined during high river flows. "Just because a bridge is scour critical doesn't mean it's impending failure and it's unsafe," Dahlke said, adding that MDT performs diving inspections, ground-penetrating radar and other monitoring until a decision is made. Still, MDT argued removal is the most cost-effective way to eliminate the hazard and the threat to the new highway structure.
Residents at the hearing pressed county officials and MDT for more detail about pedestrian and emergency access if the old bridge is removed. "How can you immediately exit the town of Toston in a safe way?" asked Roger Flynn, noting wildfire risks and the need for reliable egress. Aaron Smith and other Toston residents said the old bridge has at times served as a secondary escape route and raised concerns about ambulances and trucks having limited space on alternative roads.
Several residents and local representatives also urged that any highway upgrade include safer pedestrian and bicycling connections between Townsend and neighborhoods north of the Missouri River bridge, and asked for underpasses or continuous trails at the Silos junction to keep non-motorized users off high-speed lanes. A pair of written public comments from nearby residents and the Broadwater County Development Corp's trails committee similarly urged 8-foot shoulders, frontage roads, underpasses and coordinated funding for trails.
MDT officials said they will continue outreach and coordinate with resource agencies, the county and local fire and law enforcement. "We will be reaching out to you, as we kick things off and certainly be engaging quite a bit with that project," Gates, MDT's Butte District pre-construction engineer, said of the Silo South corridor improvements. MDT also urged the county to nominate speed studies where residents want reduced limits; the agency said speed studies and project development can run on parallel tracks.
County commissioners did not take an immediate formal vote on removal; MDT said it would program the removal once the county indicates willingness to move forward and work through permitting with agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The commission asked staff and MDT to continue outreach, confirm alternatives for pedestrian access and assess whether a formal county request (for example, to prioritize a speed study or an access/egress review) is warranted before final programming decisions.
Next steps: MDT will refine engineering estimates and coordinate permitting and outreach; county staff said they will raise the access and emergency-egress concerns in future meetings as MDT advances the scope and schedule.
