Lolo Street Bridge Project

Missoula County received $2.9 million in grant funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law to help fund the replacement of this bridge. The award was from the PROTECT grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Lolo Street Bridge is one of two major bridges crossing Rattlesnake Creek in the Rattlesnake residential area. Missoula County is charged with maintaining all non-MDT bridges in the county including those owned by the City of Missoula. The project was originally scoped to rehabilitate the existing concrete bridge and provide sidewalks while maintaining the bridge’s current vehicle capacity. As the county’s engineering consultant investigated the bridge foundation conditions, it became apparent that replacement was a better option reducing potential long term maintenance issues as well as offering up the opportunity to better address the concerns that have been shared by those commenting on the proposed project. A decision was made to construct an entirely new bridge rather than simply trying to rehab the existing bridge. With a new bridge, the width also becomes more flexible allowing for options to accommodate non-motorized users.

The proposed bridge now has 11.1’ driving lanes that align better with the existing typical section. The non-motorized space is proposed to be 10’ wide on both sides accommodating both cyclists and pedestrians.

Missoula County will continue to coordinate with the City of Missoula and the public to find a bridge design that meets the needs of the neighborhood while also maintaining its character.

Preliminary plans are available on this site. Staff collected comments for months and held an open house on May 31, 2023, to hear thoughts and questions from the community on the project.

This project provided a 30% design package that included a basic set of plans and estimated costs that was included in grant applications for potential funding sources. The County, City, Metropolitan Planning Organization and DJ&A Engineering submitted a grant application in July 2023. The County received $2.9 million in grant funding for the project, and it will use that money to complete the plans, specifications and estimates and pay for construction and construction administration.