Old Town Bridge Project Update
Author: Broadwater County Commissioners
Old Town Bridge Project Update
Broadwater County Commissioners
The Old Town Bridge Replacement project has made progress in recent months. This project is to replace Old Town Bridge East (Gallatin County) and Old Town Bridge West (Broadwater County), both of which span the Jefferson River on Old Town Road near Three Forks.
The bridges have been closed since June of 2022 after significant structural safety issues were discovered. This closure resulted in a 10-mile detour for residents and forced emergency services to reroute, causing a significant delay in response times.
Broadwater County and Gallatin County partnered to find funding for the replacement of the bridges. Both counties received grants from the Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP) along with matching funds from the Montana Department of Transportation.
One of the major hurdles delaying the project was the approval process from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) since both bridges are considered historic by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The approval process began in October of 2023 and was finalized in March of this year when the Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the SHPO was signed. Since then, progress is moving at a much steadier pace.
Below is an update of the process so far:
• The project was advertised on April 5, 12, and 19.
• A preconstruction meeting was held on site on April 17th for interested contractors.
• Sealed bids were opened at the Gallatin County Commission meeting on April 29th.
• The Notice of Award granting the contract to the lowest bidder (Battle Ridge Builders) was signed by Broadwater County and returned to Stahly Engineering on May 6th.
We are very excited to finally break ground on the physical bridge work. Construction is expected to begin as soon as next month, with a target completion date of June 15th, 2026.
We realize how difficult this has been for the residents affected by the bridge closures and truly appreciate their patience during this lengthy process.
For more information or to view the project timeline and history, visit the Old Town Bridge project website at https://seaeng.wixsite.com/oldtown/project-schedule.
Sincerely,
Broadwater County Commissioners
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