The state is contributing $950,000 to the estimated $35 million effort to replace the failing Noxon Bridge in Sanders County.

The funds, which come from the Montana Department of Transportation, were set aside by the state Legislature in Senate Bill 536 during the 2023 legislative session. The bill budgeted $100 million to support infrastructure projects across the state.  

Incorporated cities and towns with populations under 10,000 residents were entitled to the first $20 million in funding, which was allocated by Sept. 1, 2023. The remaining $80 million was distributed to applicants, said Ryan Dahlke, statewide project development engineer.  

Sanders County commissioners were notified of the funding for the Noxon Bridge replacement project via email on Oct. 22, according to Cassandra Ward, the commissioners’ executive assistant. Commissioner Anthony Cox, who represents Noxon, did not respond to the Inter Lake’s requests for comment.  

Dahlke said $50,000 of the funding is intended for bridge deck repair, and the remaining $900,000 will go toward design and engineering work. The money will be allocated to the county through a reimbursement process.  

State officials closed Noxon Bridge, which spans the Clark Fork River and connects the unincorporated community of Noxon with Montana 200, in July 2024 after inspectors discovered structural deficiencies. The bridge was reopened within weeks after undergoing short-term repairs, but state officials warned last fall that its days were numbered.   

While funding through Senate Bill 536 is nearly tapped out, additional funding opportunities for bridge projects may soon be available through House Bill 924, which state lawmakers passed earlier this year, Dahlke said. 

The legislation created a new state trust fund, the Montana Growth and Opportunity Trust, that will feed money into various state accounts. The Better Local Bridges Fund is set to receive 10% of interest earnings from the trust fund, as well as a one-time transfer of $10 million. 

The Montana Department of Transportation will provide grants through the bridge fund to local governments for off-system bridge construction projects (bridges excluded from the federal highway system), with a 20% local match. The department is currently drafting rules before it begins accepting applications, Dahlke said.  

Meanwhile, Montana’s congressional delegation is seeking additional dollars for the Noxon Bridge replacement project in Washington, D.C.  

Rep. Ryan Zinke submitted a $10 million funding request for Noxon Bridge in the House Appropriations Committee, but $2.5 million was approved. Sen. Tim Sheehy made a $30 million funding request for the bridge in the Senate Appropriations Committee, but $10 million was approved.*

Both funding requests are for the 2026 fiscal year and are waiting for congressional approval. 

*This story was updated to include Rep. Zinke's and Sen. Sheehy's original funding request amounts for Noxon Bridge

Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected].