A stretch of road through Thompson Pass in Sanders County is tentatively scheduled to undergo repair work this spring, weather permitting, according to state transportation officials.  

The area near a bridge that stretches across Prospect Creek, between mile markers 16 and 22 on Montana Secondary 471, was damaged in the floods that swept through parts of Northwest Montana in early December. The route, also known as the Thompson Pass road, is open seasonally and is currently closed.  

Work is planned for the roadway pavement and guardrails near the bridge, said Natalee Stout, a spokesperson for the transportation department, in an email to the Inter Lake.

State transportation officials hope to have Thompson Pass open to traffic by the end of this summer. A second project will mitigate potential for future flooding, but no other details are currently available. 

A STATE-OWNED span, Farm to Market Bridge in Lincoln County, was wiped out during the floods. State officials decided to replace the bridge, and design work is underway, Stout said. 

Nine bridges were reportedly wiped out during the catastrophic floods. Lincoln County officials began the permit process to reconstruct Lower Granite Creek Bridge and Lake Creek Bridge last month, since the damage to these structures had the biggest impact on residents, according to County Emergency Management Director Boyd White. 

Lake Creek bridge, which spanned Keeler Creek, was built in 1974 and constructed out of corrugated steel, according to state documents. It had a stringer/multi-beam or girder structure, and averaged 100 daily trips.  

Lower Granite Creek bridge, which stretched across Big Cherry Creek, was made of prestressed concrete and had a tee beam structure. The bridge was built in 1977 and saw 334 average daily trips.   

A community meeting will be held in Libby, in the Ponderosa Room at City Hall, 952 E. Spruce St., at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Representatives from Lincoln County Disaster and Emergency Services, Montana Department of Emergency Services and federal partners will answer questions from the public regarding recovery assistance and resources.  

The meeting will also be livestreamed, and registration is available at tinyurl.com/storm-public-meeting. For more information, call 406-293-6295.  

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