MDT lays out multi-year work in Lincoln County, including Highway 37 resurfacing and bridge repairs

Representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) updated the commissioners on a multi-year construction and preservation plan covering Lincoln County.

Bob Bzen, district administrator, and district engineers described a completed pulverize-in-place project on Highway 37 (Lake Kukanusa sections), upcoming Sutton Creek overlay segments, and several bridge redeck and bridge-deck-rehabilitation projects scheduled through the next year. "That project was one that we were because it's a long ways from a hot plant... we tried figuring out a way to basically recycle what was there," one MDT speaker said of the Highway 37 work.

John Schmidt, district construction engineer, said most bridge work will continue into late summer with deployable phases; two sites are waiting for migratory-eagle nesting activity to clear. The Libby airport mill-and-fill is scheduled to start milling the following Friday, with paving planned for the week of June 13.

MDT also briefed commissioners about an emergency, permanent fix planned for the Coupney River bridge northwest of Troy that will require short, scheduled closures (three to six hours each) and progressive bearing replacement estimated across multiple closure windows over eight to ten weeks. MDT emphasized advance coordination with Troy and local stakeholders to manage detours and traffic safety.

Officials said funding and sequencing remain the major constraints for resurfacing approximately 30 miles of secondary routes; they noted routine maintenance, paving preservation strategy and federal-aid prioritization will guide which segments proceed first.

Commissioners thanked MDT for the overview and asked for follow-up schedules and coordination plans when near-term closures are set.