FERGUS COUNTY — Construction is underway on the first phase of a multi-year bridge replacement project across central Montana.
The Montana Department of Transportation is replacing 11 aging timber bridges through the Lewistown Area Bridges-DAR Structures Project. The first five are scheduled for work in 2026 and 2027, including four bridges in Fergus County and one in Wheatland County.
For the most current schedule of construction, check here.
Work began in June at the Dry Wolf Creek Bridge on MT 81, about 6 miles southeast of Denton.
Beth Kappes, MDT’s alternative contracting engineer for the project, said crews started there because of the amount of work that needs to be completed before winter weather arrives.
“We started construction on the first phase of the project, which includes replacement of five bridges in central Montana,” Kappes explained.
The first phase includes the Dry Wolf Creek Bridge, three drainage bridges on MT 81 west of Brooks and the Deadman’s Basin Canal Bridge on Secondary Highway 297 north of Shawmut.
“They’ve served the Lewistown area well for a number of decades, but are really starting to show signs of their age,” Kappes explained.
The full project is also a collaboration with the Department of Defense and is partially funded through the Defense Access Road program.
For drivers, MDT says the goal is to keep traffic moving while the work is underway. Temporary roadways are being built next to the existing bridges, meaning drivers should not have to take long detours through back roads.
“There’ll be a temporary roadway that basically runs adjacent to the existing mainline,” Kappas said. “So traffic hopefully won’t be too disturbed by construction efforts that we have going on.”
Drivers should still expect reduced speeds, traffic control and active work zones through the construction season.
MDT is also reminding motorcyclists to use extra caution on the gravel surfaces of the temporary roadways.
Kappes said the project team is also accounting for the types of traffic common in central Montana, including agricultural equipment, wide loads and commercial carriers.
Construction on the first five bridges is expected to carry into 2027. The remaining six structures are scheduled for replacement in 2027 and 2028.
When the work is complete, she said the goal is simple: bridges that drivers can rely on without having to think about them.
“Hopefully people don’t notice the new bridge,” Kappes said during the interview. “I think that’s when we’ve done it right.”
