EBS STAFF
Two bridges along Old Town Road will be replaced with the help of state funding, according to a Jan. 3 press release from Gallatin County. Old Town Road crosses the Jefferson River near Three Forks, helping to connect the two counties. The project is two years in the making, during which Gallatin and Broadwater officials have collaborated to find funding to replace bridges at Old Town Road East—which has been closed since June 2023—and Old Town Road West. Both replacements are estimated to cost $2 million each.
The closure of Old Town Road East has led to a 10-mile detour, and “forced emergency services to reroute, causing considerable delays in service,” the release stated.In 2023, the counties received $750,000 each from the Montana Coal Endowment Program and $1 million each from the Montana Department of Transportation as a match to MCEP’s contribution, according to the release. A bill passed in the 2023 Montana Legislature has made this funding possible, the release stated.
