Lewis & Clark County will host a public information meeting to share details about the upcoming temporary closure of the Missouri River Bridge and related community topics.
Justin Robicheau reports - watch the video here:
The meeting will be on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Volunteer Fire Department Gymnasium, located at 375 Augusta Street in Craig.
The Missouri River Bridge will be temporarily closed from April 13 through April 27, 2026, for maintenance and safety improvements. During the closure, all vehicle and pedestrian traffic will be detoured to alternate routes.
The project was scheduled for this time of year based on feedback from residents and local fishing guides. Drivers will have to take alternate routes at the Wolf Creek and Dearborn exits.
CrossCurrents Fly Shop owner Chris Strainer says the bridge closing will not affect his business too much, but drivers will have to take alternative routes for boat launching spots.
"I'm sure it won't have a lot of negative impact if it's just the two weeks they're saying for this month and in April. If it dragged on longer,then I think people would try to avoid Craig the boat ramp area and accessing it that so it might have an impact short term," Strainer said.
"And the Craig boat ramp is a popular spot. So when they close the bridge, that means if you're going to put it in anywhere else, you're going to have to drive to one of the other interstate exits, either Wolf Creek exit eight miles to the south, or the canyon access exit.What is that like 12 miles? To the north so it would be very inconvenient for a couple of weeks," Strainer said.
Izaaks Restaurant manager Scott Johnson says bridge repairs are something the county had to do, and he thinks the closure will not have a big impact on community coming to his restaurant.
"I don't think it's really going to affect us much because, you know, the guides may have to use a different boat launch, but at the end of the day, everybody still comes back to Craig and has dinner. So I don't think it's going to really affect us that much," Johnson said.
"Most of the people that come to Craig and eat at Izaaks are fishermen and they're used to going to different boat launches anyway and having to drive a little bit, either in the river or off the river. So it's not really going to matter that much," Johnson said.
In addition to bridge closure details, representatives from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks will be available to provide details on the Craig Fishing Access overflow parking project.
For more information prior to the meeting, please call the Lewis & Clark County Road and Bridge Division at 406-447-8031.
