MISSOULA - The weight limit for the Boy Scout Bridge on the southwestern side of Seeley Lake has been reduced to three tons, effectively immediately.
Missoula County Public Works has lowered the limit from 14 tons following a routine Montana Department of Transportation inspection that showed deterioration of the timber piling foundation that could affect the bridge’s load capacity.
Public Works crews will place signs indicating the new weight limit at each end of the bridge, which spans the Clearwater River near several popular campgrounds. Anyone driving a pickup truck or other large vehicle, and those towing campers or boats should take the appropriate route, a news release states.
People can access the northwest end of the lake via Montana Highway 83 and Boy Scout Road to the north (see map here).
MDT has scheduled an underwater inspection next month and will analyze the results of that specialized inspection and advise Missoula County on the appropriate long-term posted weight limit. The process may take several months, so the three-ton weight limit will be in effect for the foreseeable future.
Prior to the new weight restrictions being put in place, Public Works was already working on a preliminary engineering report to determine the scope and cost of replacing the bridge, which was built in 1937, the release states.
