Experts Say These 10 Counties In Montana Have the Worst Bridges in the State

All across the United States, people walk, bike, and drive across bridges to get from one place to another. Without these bridges, many of the routes we take for granted would be virtually impassable. A 2023 American Road and Transportation Builders Association report states that one of every three American bridges needs repair or replacement at the present time.

Montana has a better record than the national average regarding bridges in poor condition. Nevertheless, 7% of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient. In fact, experts say that these ten counties in Montana have the worst bridges in the state.

The Low-Down on Montana’s Bridges

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration has listed 328 of Montana’s 5,278 bridges as structurally deficient. Moreover, 3,287 are only in fair condition. There are, nevertheless, 336,610 daily crossings on those bridges that are in poor condition — or structurally deficient. This will eventually lead to serious, if not fatal, consequences.

The Federal Highway Administration includes all of Montana’s bridges, including federal bridges, in its report. With both federal and state governments involved with the upkeep of the bridges, the statistics have improved only slightly from 2019, when 7.5% of bridges needed repair. Furthermore, the estimated cost of the proposed bridge work is over 900 million dollars. It’s important to remember that even if Montana gets the funding, they can’t guarantee that they can repair all of thousands of bridges.

1. Lincoln County Has 15% of Its Bridges in Poor Condition

Of Lincoln County’s 189 bridges, 28 are in poor condition, and the Federal Highway Administration has listed a whopping 87 of them as being merely in fair condition. The county’s 2022 bridge inspection report indicates that 19 bridges must be repaired or receive other corrective actions. Because of the poor conditions, three of the county’s bridges have been completely closed. Here are the top three structurally deficient bridges in Lincoln County.

• Road 36-B over Wolf Creek — Owned by the U.S. Forest Service
• Road 615 over Pipe Creek — Owned by the U.S. Forest Service
• 384 Spar Lake Road over Spar Creek — Owned by the U.S. Forest Service

Both 2. Granite and 3. Judith Basin Counties Have 14% of Their Bridges in Poor Condition

Granite County has a total of 73 bridges. Ten of those bridges are in poor condition and need repair or corrective action. At the present time, twelve bridges meet the minimum tolerable limits, and the Federal Highway Administration has listed 31 as being in only fair condition. Here are the top three structurally deficient bridges in Granite County.

• Swamp Gulch Bridge — Owned by the U.S. Forest Service
• Clark Fork River Bridge — State highway bridge
• Rock Creek Road Over Ranch Creek Bridge — State highway bridge

Judith Basin County has a total of 49 bridges, 7 of which are structurally deficient. Also, 13 of the 49 total bridges are rated as only in fair condition. Here are the top three structurally deficient bridges in Judith Basin County.

• Birch Road over Ross Fork Road — County highway bridge
• NFSR #487 over South Fork Judith River — Owned by the U.S. Forest Service
• Riverside Ranch Road over Judith River — County highway bridge

4. Carter, 5. Park, and 6. Valley Counties Have 13% of Their Bridges in Poor Condition

Carter County has a total of 40 bridges. Among those 40, six of them are historical bridges. In particular, the Blevins Bridge was built in 1889, making it the oldest of the county’s bridges. Five of the county’s bridges are in poor condition, while 18 of them are only in fair condition. Here are the three most structurally deficient bridges in Carter County.

• State Highway 7 over Sheep Camp Creek — State highway bridge
• Little Missouri Road over Hackberry Creek —— County highway bridge
• State Highway 7 over Collins Creek — State highway bridge

In Park County, there are 123 bridges in total. Of those bridges, 16 are deemed structurally deficient. A frightening 88 of them are only listed as fair. The Bannock Trail over Drainage bridge has been closed due to the intolerable condition of its deck geometry. Here are the top three most structurally deficient bridges in Park County.

• Soda Creek TR-Republic over Woody Creek — County highway bridge
• Enyart Lane over Cottonwood Creek — County highway bridge
• Shields River Road East over Shields River — County highway bridge

Valley County has 107 bridges, with 14 deemed in poor condition. There are 73 of them that are considered in fair condition. There are 16 (two of the fair condition bridges included) that are identified as structurally deficient. Here are the three bridges in the poorest conditions.

• Rock Creek Dam Road over Rock Creek — County highway bridge
• Old Highway 2 over Beaver Creek — County highway bridge
• Hinsdale North Road over Bluff Creek — County highway bridge

7. Daniels County Has 11% of Its Bridges in Poor Condition

Most of the 1,426 square miles of Daniels County, MT, are filled with rolling plains. However, within the county limits, there are 36 bridges. Moreover, four of those 36 bridges are considered in poor condition, and 21 are considered only in fair condition. Here are the four bridges presently in poor condition.

• Coal Creek Road over Coal Creek — County highway bridge
• County Road 224 over Coal Creek — County highway bridge
• County Road 226 over Coal Creek — County highway bridge
• South 248 over Drainage — State highway bridge

Both 8. Phillips and 9. Carbon County Have 10% of Their Bridges in Poor Condition

Phillips County is home to 99 bridges in total. Ten of those bridges are in poor condition, while 67 are only in fair condition. Two, in fact, were in such bad shape that they have been closed. The top three bridges that are presently structurally deficient are listed.

• Alkali Road over Alkali Creek — County highway bridge
• Strater Road over Dodson South Canal — County highway bridge
• Black Coulee Road over Black Coulee — County highway bridge

Carbon County has 84 bridges. Eight are in poor condition, while 48 are in fair condition. One of those bridges has been closed due to its structural deficiencies. Here are the top three bridges that are presently structurally deficient.

• East Side Road over Rock Creek — County highway bridge
• 1-Lane Road over Lake Fork Creek — Owned by U.S. Forest Service
• South 78 FH 83 over Red Lodge Creek — State highway bridge

10. Mineral County Has 9% of Its Bridges in Poor Condition

There are 152 bridges in Mineral County. Of those 152, 98 are only in fair condition, while 14 are in poor condition. However, none of the bridges has closed. However, 16 are structurally deficient. The top three structurally deficient bridges are listed below.

• South Frontage Road West over Clark Fork — County highway bridge
• Road 320 over Cedar Creek — Owned by the U.S. Forest Service
• I 90 over RR — State Highway bridge

Summary Table of Top Ten Counties in Montana With Worst Bridges

Conclusion

Montana isn’t the only state with infrastructure issues. Since 2014, the United States has identified over 14,000 bridges across the country as being in poor condition. In Montana, residents often drive over their 4,500 share of structurally deficient bridges more than once daily.

One of the problems we’re seeing with the deterioration of some of the bridges is that they were never designed to accommodate our modern vehicles or the frequency with which we travel. Though the cost to repair and upgrade these bridges will be well into the 100s of millions of dollars, restoring their structural integrity is essential. With so many people using them to get to work, run errands, and travel, it’s imperative for the safety of all Montanans.