State moves to replace Spear Bridge; Daniels County weighs lower-cost fixes for Level Bridge

Daniels County commissioners said Thursday that the state has agreed to replace the county’s Spear Bridge, while the agency and county engineers urged preliminary design work for the nearby Level Bridge to clarify whether a culvert option could avoid full replacement.

The change was confirmed in an email county staff reported receiving from state engineers Ryan Doy and Jason Riddle approving Daniels County’s request to replace Bridge 2615 (Spear) instead of 267 (Level). The county’s Interstate Engineering consultant told the commission the Level Bridge appears to experience scour that could require a larger opening and, depending on hydraulics, might be served by an aluminum or concrete box culvert instead of a conventional span.

“With scour critical conditions, a full invert aluminum box or a series of concrete boxes can get you away from that scour problem for a lot less than bridge replacement,” the Interstate Engineering representative said, describing culvert options they have used elsewhere.

Commissioner John Boach and other board members said priority-setting by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) drove the swap, and the county will pursue preliminary hydraulics and sizing work to see whether a culvert solution is feasible for Level Bridge if state construction funds remain allocated to Spear. County staff noted the state appears prepared to handle design and construction of the Spear replacement as a state-led project, but that local funds or preliminary design would be needed to advance Level Bridge work in the near term.

The commission discussed a phased approach: pay for survey and preliminary hydraulics now, then shelve a full design until additional funding can be identified. The consultant estimated preliminary design could be started in early 2025, with potential bidding in mid-2025 and construction in 2026 if funding aligns.

Commissioners also noted that an aluminum box option has been used locally for smaller spans and can be materially less expensive, though remoteness and installation logistics could affect final costs. The board asked staff to check whether leftover funds from the Cole Creek project could be applied to preliminary designs for Level Bridge and to follow up with MDT on funding flexibility.

The county will continue coordination with state engineers and pursue a preliminary-sizing study for Level Bridge while monitoring the state’s schedule for the Spear replacement.