Congressman Zinke Announces over $31 Million dollars in Transportation Grants for Bridge and Airport Projects Across Western Montana

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Today, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke announced the allocation of over $28.4 million in funding for bridge replacement in Bigfork, Montana. The new bridge will have an expanded deck width, be built on a redundant girder system, and use geogrid reinforcement to improve seismic resiliency. Sportsman Bridge was constructed in 1955 and currently does not meet standards for traffic volume in the area.

The Congressman also announced two grants for airports in Kalispell and Missoula. The Missoula Montana Airport will be using the $875,000 for a revenue guarantee and associated marketing plan to recruit, initiate, and support year-round service to Chicago, expanding service to the airport. Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell will be using the $2.5 million in funds to expand terminals and modernize gates and ticket areas, hold rooms, checkpoint lanes, utilities upgrades, and building envelope upgrades to improve efficiency, capacity, and accessibility.

“Montana has been ignored for decades on our infrastructure. When counties don’t have working bridges, roads, airports, or sewer systems, they can’t promote growth in their economies,” said Congressman Zinke. “I am happy to be able to announce that with these grants we were able to get the Federal Government to pay attention to the needs of Montana.”

Grant details are below:

Recipient: Montana Department of Transportation

Amount: $28,462,652

Purpose: The project will replace the existing two-lane bridge with a more resilient two-lane bridge to maintain and improve access over the Flathead River in northwest Montana on Montana Highway 82 in Flathead County. Constructed in 1955, the existing bridge exhibits poor deck condition and its deck width does not meet current standards for accommodating future traffic volume growth. The structure also ranks high as a candidate for seismic retrofit as it is a two-girder non-redundant bridge that lies between two faults of the Mission Fault System. The new bridge will have an expanded deck width, be built on a redundant girder system, and use geogrid reinforcement to improve seismic resiliency. An additional 1.7 feet of freeboard and embankment protectors to route deck drainage will improve climate resiliency. Wider shoulders will allow drivers to pull out of travel lanes in emergency situations, allowing emergency responders to avoid vehicles parked on the shoulder.

Recipient: Glacier Park International Airport

Amount: $2,500,000

Purpose: This award funds a portion of the terminal expansion and modernization project including gates and ticket areas, hold rooms, checkpoint lanes, utilities upgrades, and building envelope upgrades to improve efficiency, capacity, and accessibility.

Recipient: Missoula Montana Airport 

Amount: $875,000

Purpose: Revenue guarantee and associated marketing plan to recruit, initiate, and support year-round service to Chicago (ORD).

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