Work begins on Dalton Mountain Road Bridge Reconstruction project

LINCOLN, Mont .: This summer, the Montana Department of Transportation and Sletten Construction, in cooperation with Lewis and Clark County, will replace the Dalton Mountain Road Bridge over the Blackfoot River, located three miles west of Lincoln. Sletten Construction was awarded the contract to build the bridge for $3.9 million.

Starting in early April, initial work will begin with crews trimming and removing trees. The traveling public should expect flaggers and short delays. Once tree work is complete, crews will suspend activities until July. This is because this stretch of the Blackfoot River is designated as critical habitat for bull trout, and due to regulations from the United States Fish and Wildlife Services, construction work in the river cannot occur before July.

In July, construction will begin on the bridge. The bridge will be closed, and a detour will go into effect. Construction is anticipated to last through this fall.

"We are excited to work on replacing the Dalton Mountain Road Bridge," said Jim Wingerter, MDT Great Falls District Administrator. "I want to emphasize that the detour will not go into place until July, and work this spring and early summer will be minimal. MDT and Sletten Construction appreciate the public's patience and cooperation during this construction season."

The new bridge will be a single-span bridge, which means it will stretch the entire length of the Blackfoot River without supporting structures in the middle of the river. This design will minimize impacts on bull trout during construction and lead to fewer debris snags during spring run-off.

Members of the public can find more information on the project webpage https://mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/daltonbridge/ or by reaching out to Melissa Shannon at [email protected] or 406-422-2922.

About MDT:

We are B.U.I.L.D.E.R.S. At MDT, our mission is to plan, build, operate, and maintain a safe and resilient transportation infrastructure to move Montana forward by setting the gold standard for a highly effective, innovative, and people-centric department of transportation. For more information about MDT and the work we do on behalf of Montana's traveling public, visit https://www.mdt.mt.gov/ 

Alternative accessible formats of this document will be provided on request. Persons who need an alternative format should contact the Office of Civil Rights, Montana Department of Transportation, 2701 Prospect Avenue, PO Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620. Telephone 406-444-5416 or Montana Relay Service at 711.