Bridges over Lincoln County: Commissioners try for grant

With only until the end of the month to apply, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners quickly pushed through a resolution during its meeting last week in an attempt to qualify for a grant that will create documentation on the current state of 33 bridges.

Bill Lloyd, a vice president from Great West Engineering out of Helena, recommended the move. The process includes the writing of preliminary engineering reports that will identify the most economical way to replace a structure.

In the past, the county had explored the idea of applying but did not because of approximiately $20 million in savings out of the Roads fund. The fund created the perception that Lincoln County didn’t need any more money to spend on roads or bridges.

“We felt it wasn’t worth the time to even apply,” board chairman John Konzen said. “We finally came to the conclusion that it’s something very positive. … He said there are other ways to do it (qualify) so we’ll explore it.”

Lloyd said that several bridges in poor shape can override factors such as a substantial amount of money sitting in savings. Lloyd outlined for commissioners the various criteria that are looked at during the grant approval process.

Lloyd said federal stimulus money will play a factor in the availability of grants. The grant cycle occurs every two years and he expected 40 to 45 or more projects to be funded in the next cycle. Any work in Lincoln County would be at least two years out.

At the meeting, it was believed that all 33 bridges are under 20 feet in length. One commissioner recalled that one bridge might come in just short of 20 feet. That length is important because the State of Montana does bridge inspections only for those 20 feet and longer.

The planning grant through the Treasure State Endowment Program provides up to $15,000. The county would match the grant dollar for dollar with payment out of the Roads fund.

“Once the bridge inventory is in place, we work through what the highest needs are and the county decides what bridges they want to proceed forward with for funding,” Lloyd said.

Commissioner Tony Berget liked the idea.

“I think the biggest thing that was of real interest to me is to have a good inventory,” Berget said. “To put it all together, to me, that’s one of the best aspects.”

Konzen was positive about the possibilities, primarily having the planning in place before applying for any future grants to help pay for bridge construction. And if everything falls into place, the county would receive money from the state instead of spending its own.

The 33 county bridges are pretty much evenly distributed throughout the county. In the past decade, the county has replaced one bridge – that up in the Eureka area over Graves Creek. Six bridges have been repaired by the county – three in Eureka, two in Troy and one in Libby.

Early this decade, a Libby bridge was replaced but it was paid for through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That bridge goes over Parmenter Creek and had to be replaced after flooding in a project that even included changes to channel flow.

Another bridge that was closed more than a year ago goes over Bobtail Creek near Libby. Bridge construction is scheduled for this summer on Pipe Creek Road but it is being paid for by the Department of Transportation.

Among the current county bridges that top the priority list is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge over the Kootenai River in Troy. The one-lane bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was originally built in 1912 and renovated in 1992.

Concerns exist over the bridge’s decking. Konzen said the bridge is safe but there are challenges with treadwork coming up.

Another bridge at Graves Creek in the Eureka district is also on the priority list. And Libby has the closed bridge over Bobtail Creek.

The Treasure State Endowment Program, or TSEP, provides grants for infrastructure projects on the local level. The program is state-funded with the intent of helping counties solve affordability problems by lowering the cost of constructing public facilities.