Bridges

As required in Montana State law, the County is responsible for maintaining bridges located on roads that are maintained by the County. This maintenance responsibility extends to culverts as well and applies to any structure that carries or crosses a natural stream. Also by definition in state law, irrigation ditches are considered natural streams if they existed prior to the road being constructed.

The County is not responsible for maintaining bridges on routes that are private or maintained by the Montana Department of Transportation; however, the County is responsible for maintaining bridges within the City of Missoula.

With these requirements, the County maintains 310 bridges and culverts with an approximate annual budget of $350,000. The County regularly seeks additional funding sources to supplement this budget to ensure that Missoula County’s infrastructure needs are met. The two most common sources of financial assistance are state-funded programs. 

The first is the Treasure State Endowment Program which provides a 50% grant match with grant applications and construction funding available every two years. This funding source considers social and economic factors in addition to engineering and structural concerns.

The second is the Off System Bridge program, which is federal funding managed by the Montana Department of Transportation. This funding is based on engineering and structural needs and is more limited due to allocated funding compared to infrastructure needs. 

Crews resurfacing the Maclay Bridge in 2024.