Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

by Shana Neesvig

"There's no easy fix," commented Bob Vosen, Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), in reference to the $9.2 million Highway 200 bridge construction project scheduled to take place just northwest of Trout Creek during late spring and summer of 2020. Vosen made that statement more than once during the informational open house held last Thursday afternoon in Trout Creek.

During the forum, MDT was joined by hired bridge construction company Kiewit, bridge designer and consultant HDR and county commissioner Tony Cox listening to concerns and addressing questions brought forth by the public. A steady flow of visitors expressed apprehensions ranging from daily commutes to affects the construction will have on tourism, ultimately hurting their businesses.

The bridge originated in 1958 and needs new concrete decking, improvements of miscellaneous structural components and new bridge rails, spot painting of the riveted existing steel girders and new approach guardrails to increase the long-term viability of the structure.

"A key factor in developing the construction schedule is to minimize impacts to the local community and traveling public," MDT stated, although deems it necessary for the bridge to close to traffic during deck replacement for everyone's safety.

Construction is scheduled to take place beginning late spring and continue through summer 2020. Two closure options are on the table: closing the bridge intermittently allowing scheduled timeframes for traffic to cross, a 12-week option, or close the bridge wholly for six weeks while the work is completed.

During construction, all passenger vehicles and single-unit delivery vehicles will be rerouted via Blue Slide Road or Marten Creek Road. Larger vehicles will be required to utilize I-90 and U.S. Highway 2 for travel. MDT will be posting detour notices in junctions where the detour must be followed.

Local emergency services (law enforcement, fire, ambulance) and U.S. Forest and Postal Services have been coordinating with MDT to ensure services are impacted as minimally as possible. MDT also met with county commissioners and together they took school schedules into consideration when determining the timing of the project. The project will begin when school has released for summer vacation and will be complete before resuming the following school year to lessen impacts on student transportation.

Availability of access points to and recreational use of the Clark Fork River and Noxon Reservoir will not be impacted by the project. MDT stated, "a temporary platform will be installed under the bridge structure to provide access for the workers and contain debris during demolition, improving safety for both workers and river users."

A couple of years ago the bridge received a new layer of asphalt to cover exposed rebar - a "band aid," which is not a fix, according to Donny Pfeifer, MDT Preconstruction Engineer. He commented that the problems are still laying below the surface of the asphalt and need to be addressed sooner rather than later. He said MDT believes that once this project is complete, the bridge should last another 50- 60 years before it will need any work.

Vosen explained to a group of concerned individuals that MDT did not wait until the last minute to address the bridge problem, resulting in what they called a "time crunch."

"For four-and-a-half years we have tried to figure out how to fix this," Vosen reassured. "We haven't waited until the last minute. We realize it's going to be painful for everyone. But, if we do not do something, at some point the bride is going to collapse."

The main concern heard at the public forum was about the timing of bridge closure. Pfeifer responded to a voiced concern that every construction project takes longer than anticipated. He stated that unlike what has been done in the past, MDT has a better estimate because they brought Kiewit in right away, rather than later in the planning stage. This has allowed MDT to develop a more accurate construction timeframe.

Pfeifer expressed, "We really are willing to listen, and we are going to take comments from tonight and use them as a way to engage with everyone so we can all get through it."

Commitment to keeping the public informed is a priority, according to MDT. Prior to and during construction, MDT will share information and address questions and concerns primarily thorough a website. In addition, MDT plans to distribute informational brochures and fact sheets sharing construction alerts, awareness and notices. The informational website address is http://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/clarkforkbridge/.