Maclay Bridge Will be Closed for Approximately Two Weeks Next Month

At around 8:00 a.m. on October 7^th, Maclay Bridge will be closed for repairs. The bridge is expected to be closed for the majority of the next two weeks as Missoula County Public Works crews repair several holes in the asphalt of the bridge. County Engineer Erik Dickson explains.

“They started out as cracks and have progressed to holes over the years,” Dickson said. “We have tried to patch the asphalt as much as we can. Too much of the steel has been moving and broken loose. We have to take the deck off in those areas, cut it down to the structural members underneath and replace that steel that supports the asphalt deck. We need to get the driving surface back in good condition.”

The bridge will tentatively reopen at 5:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. The bridge will then close at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15. According to Dickson, they don’t know exactly how long it will take to complete the repairs.

The last time we did this, it took three days for about a four-foot-long section of the deck,” Dickson said. “We have nine sections that go anywhere from three feet to 11 feet. If it does go a little bit fast, we will certainly open that up sooner rather than later and we will let people know. It will be nine days out of two weeks that that bridge will be closed to all traffic.”

Dickson says drivers will need to use Highway 93 or Kona Ranch Road to access the Blue Mountain and Big Flat areas. If Public Works staff determine repairs are complete, the bridge will reopen for full access at 5:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18.