LIBBY — Months after floodwaters severely damaged the Farm to Market Bridge in Libby, construction is scheduled to begin on a full replacement of the crossing.
In December 2025, Libby Creek flooded and severely damaged the Farm to Market Bridge at mile marker 2.6 on Secondary Highway 482. The loss of the bridge has disrupted daily life for residents in the area.
(WATCH: Montana moves forward with $4.7M replacement of Libby bridge after flooding)
"It certainly has an effect for folks who especially live on that side of the bridge and need to go into town, it adds time to their commute," Luke Francis, the project delivery engineer for MDT's Missoula District, said.
Francis says because of that, the department moved quickly to begin the replacement process.
"Emergency funds were allocated and we began the planning process which involves permits, what are we going to do for the bridge, what are we going to do to inform the public. Everybody worked together to put together a plan set in the matter of a few months," Francis said.
Construction is slated to begin in July. Francis described the process crews will follow.
"So first they will remove the bridge completely. There will be some excavation at the end of what's left of the road and we'll drive in pile that goes into the ground and acts as a foundation and pour concrete on top of that," Francis said.
The new bridge will be both longer and wider than the original and is designed to withstand future flooding events.
"The main goal around the whole design of the new bridge is to keep this from happening again in the future," Francis said.
MDT is slated to complete the bridge by February 2027, barring delays from beam delivery or weather.
Farm to Market Road will remain closed until construction is complete. Residents with comments or concerns about the project can reach out to MDT.
