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MDT tells Daniels County a requested bridge-priority change could jeopardize 536 funding allocation
Summary
Montana Department of Transportation staff told Daniels County on Nov. 26 that switching the county’s top bridge priority complicates allocations already obligated from the 536 bridge-replacement fund; MDT said it will review the request in December but warned a roughly half‑million-dollar gap could prevent a change without finding extra funds.
Montana Department of Transportation staff told Daniels County commissioners on Nov. 26 that a request to swap the county’s first and second bridge priorities has uncertain consequences because MDT has largely obligated 536 bridge-replacement funds based on earlier county rankings and OSB scores.
Jason Riddle, speaking for MDT, said the department used county-submitted rankings and objective scores to allocate available dollars; when Daniels County later sought to promote its second-choice bridge to the top spot, MDT said the county’s request could change where its projects land on the funded list and might require finding additional funding to cover a more expensive bridge.
"When you changed your mind and wanted to move your number two bridge into your number one category, that ... puts us in a bit of a quandary," MDT staff said, noting that the department had already notified counties of the bridges that would be funded. MDT staff told the county they would review the request in December and advocate where feasible but cautioned there is a significant funding shortfall if the swap is permitted.
County commissioners described recent field visits and local concerns that motivated the proposed priority shift, including traffic patterns and the condition of a flat‑car bridge the county now believes is more heavily used than its original top priority.
MDT outlined options: find additional dollars, keep the original obligation so Daniels County retains a funded project, or reallocate from other pots (such as Quick Fix) to cover the gap. MDT staff said they would evaluate the request and notify the county in late December of the decision. One MDT speaker noted a check "for about $600,000" was in the mail to Daniels County related to the program, which MDT said was a positive development.
Next steps: MDT will review the county’s request and present options in December; Daniels County must decide whether to stick with its originally obligated bridge or try to fund the swap from other sources if MDT approves the change.
