TOWNSEND — The Montana Department of Transportation taking public comment on a proposed plan to remove the Old Toston Bridge.

The proposed work includes removing the deck, the superstructure and the piers in the Missouri River.

The historic steel truss bridge, which spans 525 feet, crosses the Missouri River on the Highway 287 bypass. It was completed in 1920 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Other than occasional replacements to the timber deck, the rest of the bridge is unchanged from its original construction.

The structure has been closed to the public since 2022. Rising water levels were initially cited as the reason for a precautionary closure, but the bridge has remained closed to all traffic since then.

In June 2022, Montana experienced historic flooding that saw catastrophic damage in and near the Yellowstone waterways. The flooding destroyed another historic steel truss bridge, the Carbella Bridge near Gardiner.

Over the years, Toston residents have expressed concerns that officials want to remove the historic bridge which many see as an icon of the community.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted online at mdt.mt.gov/contact/comment-form.aspx or in writing to the Montana Department of Transportation, Butte office, PO Box 3068, Butte, MT 59702-3068. Please note that comments are for project UPN 10557000.

The public is encouraged to contact Butte District Preconstruction Engineer Brandon Jones at 406-494-9622 with questions or comments about the project.