Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
The Old Town Bridge in Gallatin County was closed in 2022. File photo
Design work is underway for replacing the Old Town Bridge (West) in Broadwater County.
According to Broadwater County Commissioner Darrel Folkvord, once Stahly Engineering and Associates completes the work and it is reviewed, the bidding process will begin, and a contractor will be selected to complete the project.
"I would estimate spring of 2024 before that process is complete," said Folkvord. "Then it depends on when the project fits into the contractor's schedule to start construction."
According to a project page created by Stahly, the estimated completion date for the bridge in Broadwater County is January of 2025.
The Old Town Bridge (East) in Gallatin County was closed after being ruled unsafe for vehicles or pedestrians after a regularly scheduled MDT inspection on June 6, 2022. According to a project page, the design process for the new bridge has been completed, and the estimated date of the completed project is December of 2024.
In May, Gallatin and Broadwater Counties received $750,000 in Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP) Grants for replacing the two bridges.
Broadwater County Commissioner Lindsey Richtmyer said that since the bridges are crucial to both counties, the cost will be shared between Gallatin and Broadwater, but there isn't a breakdown or details yet. She added that engineering is also looking for possible grant funding, but there are not any details to share yet.
Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown said in July of 2022 that the worst-case scenario in costs for the bridges would be $2 million each. At the same meeting in July, former Commissioner Joe Skinner said Gallatin County also has a bridge fund to help with the project.
At a meeting in May of 2022, Broadwater County Public Works Director Josh Obert discussed the importance of replacing the bridges from an emergency service standpoint. He said emergency responders had to use the bridges for a fire last year, and their condition very much limits emergency response.
The project page can be found at https://seaeng.wixsite.com/oldtown.
