MISSOULA - Maclay Bridge will soon be closed for repairs — for the third time since 2019.
The bridge in the Target Range neighborhood will be undergoing construction between April 10 and April 19 to repair several potholes on its surface.
The bridge's surface was replaced from timber to steel and concrete and asphalt in 2004. Missoula County Public Works assistant director and engineer Erik Dickson says the steel was welded together but continues to move, causing potholes to surface.
Public Works made its first major repairs to the deck of the bridge in 2019, replacing about 40 feet of the surface. Then, in 2021, they replaced about 30 feet of the surface. Now, they are going back to do the same thing.
While Dickson says they know better about what the issue is, these repairs will not be permanent. And as they continue to have to make repairs, he says they will run into funding issues.
"You know it serves about 2,000 cars a day now and one-lane bridges are recommended for about 100 cars a day," Dickson says. "And as with you know, the third time in three years that we're going in to make repairs, it's old in and we just don't have the funds to continue to maintain this structure or rehabilitated or reconstructed on that same alignment."
This is part of the reason the county is looking to replace the bridge, something a lot of people have issues with, Dickson says. The bridge is a scenic part of the neighborhood, and many residents would hate to see it go.
On the other hand, if the bridge is not replaced, construction will need to regularly happen to maintain a safe roadway. A replacement bridge was designed in 2015, but Dickson says funds will unlikely be available until 2025 or 2026.
While the bridge is closed, people will have to use Blue Mountain Road to U.S. Highway 93 or Big Flat Road to Mullen Road and Reserve Street.
