Maclay Bridge Reopened June 11

Missoula County reopened the Maclay Bridge west of Missoula on June 11.

The weight limit for the bridge is currently at 11 tons. Though the repairs allowed the County to reopen the one-lane bridge, placed at its current location in 1953, these repairs are not intended as a long-term fix. Construction on a new bridge upstream that would connect South Avenue to River Pines Road is tentatively slated to begin in 2026. More information on the South Avenue Bridge is  online. 

We know the bridge closure has been a major disruption, and we appreciate your patience as staff worked to reopen it.

We would also like to remind everyone that jumping from the Maclay Bridge is illegal, and jumpers will be ticketed. Those wishing to swim should plan to be dropped off and picked up near the bridge and to not park near the bridge or in the adjacent neighborhoods. There are also bike racks available for those commuting by bike.

Missoula County closed Maclay Bridge on Jan. 26, 2024, after the Montana Department of Transportation informed Public Works staff on Jan. 25 that the County needed to close the bridge as soon as possible due to structural concerns. MDT determined that the bridge, located west of Missoula in the Target Range neighborhood, could no longer carry traffic, including pedestrians and bicyclists, safely and reliably. The bridge has now been repaired and reopened to traffic on June 11, 2024.

Missoula County knows the closure added time and miles to residents’ commutes, and we understand and empathize with the frustrations associated with that.