TWIN BRIDGES, Mont. -- It's about as much excitement as the little town of Twin Bridges has ever seen--from a major throughway being closed indefinitely, to reopening with unrestricted access, to talks of replacing said throughway entirely, all in about the span of a week.
Both Twin Bridges businesses and commuters alike were concerned after hearing that a key bridge along Highway 41 South, a major travel corridor for Southwest Montana towns, was closed indefinitely last week after failing inspection.
But just as quickly as those worries materialized, they evaporated. Repairs took place over the weekend to reinforce a failing support pier with steel plating and high-strength concrete.
The Montana Department of Transportation says that the bridge was also restored to its original elevation after years of wear and tear, completely reopening on Saturday morning.
But that's not where this story ends.
This bridge in particular has been in operation since 1949, with the last major repairs happening in the 1980s.
It's one of 2,500 bridges owned by MDT--and potentially the next target for an upgrade.
As talks about beginning work on replacing the bridge continue, MDT provided the following statement with NonStop Local:
"Efforts have been initiated to replace this bridge using federal and state transportation funding. The repair that was implemented is durable and allows for the comprehensive programming, design, and construction of a new bridge that will provide a sustainable solution for generations to come."
As a state-owned bridge, MDT would be responsible for funding, construction, and maintenance.
How much the bridge would cost and what the construction timeline would look like remain unknown at this time.
In the meantime, the newly repaired bridge is open to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
