HELENA – The Montana Department of Transportation is working to repair a section of Interstate 15 south of Jefferson City that was damaged due to a culvert washout last week.
Dave Crumley, MDT’s Bridge Maintenance Engineer, said he is called out for emergency situations like this to help maintain traffic flows.
“We got to do the design first, then we have to procure the materials,” Crumley said. “That can be a challenge especially at the last minute during construction season, so it could be some time before we get this done, but we are moving as fast as we can.”
Traffic from the north and south are traveling on one lane each of the southbound side of the interstate after a crossover was built over the weekend.
The biggest challenge is creating a design to fix the interstate while the water is still rushing through the culvert, which must also be replaced.
Buster Bullock, owner of Bullock Construction, said his company was hired to work on the project.
Bullock said once the design by MDT is created, his crew can start fixing the interstate.
“If the people can have some patience with us for another week, we will try and get them put back on the road as safely, as quick as possible,” he said.
MDT officials said they do not have an estimate of how much the repairs will cost, or an estimate on when the project will be finished.
MDT wants to remind the public to pay attention to construction zone speeds while maintaining a speed no faster than 35 mph.
