For 47 Years, Bridge Problems Were Reported, But Nothing Was Done

There is a piece of history that meanders from Cascade County into Lewis and Clark.

Part of the old Mullan Road, it was once the main road from the river town of Fort Benton to Helena.

In the old newspapers, it goes by several names: The Benton Road, South Birdtail Road, Birdtail Road, Birdtail Divide Road.

I had never ventured into the area, but after getting a call from area rancher Joe Barrett, I recently made the trip to Birdtail.

Joe Barret had given me a call a few days before a meeting that was to be held at Birdtail bridge, a span across Flat Creek that was constructed in 1901.

Invited to the meeting were residents that live along Birdtail Road near the bridge. The Lewis and Clark County Commissioners were invited, and the media were asked to come as well.

I was at the bridge a few minutes ahead of schedule, as I wanted to get some photos of the bridge, but soon pickups began to pull up. Tom Rolfe, Lewis & Clark County Commissioner came.

And a lot of people.

While the folks that lived on the Lewis and Clark County stretch of road – about five miles long after crossing the county line and ending at Highway 287 - were expected, just as many from the Cascade side of the line attended as well. This stretch of road is vital to them, too.

Birdtail Road, on this day... a dry fall day, is solid and an easy drive. After the meeting, I take the Birdtail back home, ending up in Fort Shaw.

With the help of the Montana Department of Transportation and the road department in Lewis and Clark County, the Times-Leader was able to trace the inspection history of the Birdtail bridge going back to 1977.

The 1977 inspection, in calling for "permanent improvement," reported that the bridge needed to be replaced. The replacement would have been a structure 90' long and 24' wide; with a design load for "cattle trucks." The cost, in 1977, was projected at $112,180.00.

The 1977 report narrative, in part, reads, "The steel truss is moderately rusted, has received minor damage to one structural member, and has some loose fasteners at the floor beam connections. The truss deck has been replaced this year. The timber stringers are seriously decayed.

The structure serves several ranches and is crossed by passenger cars, pick-ups and larger trucks hauling hay, fertilizer, stock and smaller farm machinery. ... Should the bridge be closed for repairs, a detour of 45-50 miles would be required. A low load limit on the existing structure would restrict vehicles to cars and pickups and would result in significant hardship in ranching operations"

According to the report, the weight limit for the bridge was 10 tons. Even all those years ago, the inspectors recommended that the limit be reduced.

The Times-Leader asked the Montana Department of Transportation if these reports were accessible to the Lewis and Clark County Commissioners, and they sent a copy of the most recent inspection report along with the cover letter. The department told us that a copy of the bridge inspections are sent to the county commissioners.

In the 1988 inspection report, the Birdtail bridge was given an estimated lifespan of two years. A note on the 88 inspection reads, "Structure has 6 ton weight limit posted on site. Inventory rating at 12 ton? Operating limit at 12 ton?"

The next report we examined was dated December 29, 2021. The format of this report, and the later ones, are more detailed. This report notes that the daily traffic over the bridge is 100 vehicles, and the report states that the bypass/detour route in case the bridge needed to be shut down for repairs would be 62 miles. In the 2021 report, the structural evaluation of the bridge was rated as "Intolerable – Replace." This report included a column that gives the values for the previous inspection, and for that inspection, the bridge structure was rated as "Intolerable – Correct."

By law, in Montana, bridges are to be inspected every two years.

Despite the two year rule, less than seven months after the 2021 report, the bridge received another inspection on July 17, 2022.

The Birdtail bridge surface – what you drive over – are a series of 2" X 6" timbers placed with the two-inch side showing at the surface; a "laminate." A photograph, with a level placed on the road surface, shows the amount of wear on the road surface. Two inches of the timbers, where the vehicle tires contact the surface, have been worn away. Photos show the erosion of fill at the bridge wingwalls, that part of the bridge approach that narrows as you come upon the bridge, with three-foot diameter holes that are two feet deep.

Other photos show sheared and missing bolts, cracks and rust.

On the bridge, it was Friday, November 15, residents along Birdtail Road, and some others who have cattle here, began to pull up. First, on the Lewis and Clark side of the bridge. Then people began to pull up the Cascade County side. The county line is actually about a mile further back.

Joe Barrett, a rancher who owns land along the Birdtail leads the discussion. As he starts, a rancher that lives nearby, takes off in a pickup with a cattle trailer behind. No longer able to take the bridge – it is now blocked with large concrete barriers so that nothing larger than a pickup can pass – he drives a long distance down one of his fields to find a low spot along Flat Creek where he can cross. In the winter, that might not be an option.

All three of the Lewis and Clark County Commissioners were invited. A week earlier, the commissioners had advised those in attendance about the new restrictions on the bridge at their monthly meeting in Augusta.

Carol Stewart lives in Cascade County, about two and a half miles from the bridge. Asked where she goes when she need to pick up groceries or do shopping for the ranch, she said she will head to either Great Falls or Helena, "both are about 60 miles away." There is another route, to Great Falls, via Mission Road, that leads to Cascade – the town, but she would have to cross Sullivan Hill, which is not a viable option once winter sits in – or it rains – when the road turns to "gumbo," a sticky mud that turns the road into a slip and slide ride. Carol added that this is a big season for travel on the road, it is hunting season on the Birdtail.

She also spoke about driving across the bridge during Montana's snow season. The barriers will likely funnel the winds and snow to create snowdrifts that may make getting onto the bridge impossible. I took my Chevy Durmax through the barriers, and it is a tight fit.

The matter of access to ambulance and fire services comes up during the meeting. With the barriers now placed on either side of the bridge, an ambulance or fire truck would not be able to pass, even in good weather.

On the day of the 2024 inspection, a hay truck was photographed crossing the bridge. It was not a "tractor-trailer" rig, but it was likely over the weight limit. When we look at the history of Birdtail Bridge, we see over and over, from the inspection reports, that this structure is far overdue to be replaced. The commissioners, it appears, have been passing on this for at least 47 years. Now, the talk is that it will take "six to eight" more years to replace.

In preparing this story, we reached out to Lewis and Clark County Public Works, who referred us to Daniel Karlin, PE, who serves as County Engineer. We submitted several questions to Mr. Karlin:

Mr. Sievers (the engineer that conducted the 2024 inspection on the Birdtail Bridge) is an engineering consultant, correct, with a company called Fickett Structural Solutions? Does this firm handle all bridge inspections in Lewis & Clark County?

Mr. Karlin: MDT is responsible for inspecting all county and State-owned bridges with spans over 20 feet. MDT staff completes most regular NBI (National Bridge Inventory) bridge inspections in-house. MDT determines who completes the inspections in Lewis and Clark County. 

I see that the bridge was built in 1901.

Mr. Karlin: That is what is listed on the bridge inspection report. We do not have construction plans for this bridge.

Prior to the inspection of 7/15/24, how many previous inspections were there, and at what intervals?

Mr. Karlin: Inspections are completed every two years. If there is a significant concern, the interval can be reduced to every year, all the way down to weekly if warranted.

Prior to the most recent inspection, what was the load limit on the Birdtail Bridge?

Mr. Karlin: The bridge was restricted to 5 tons in 2020 based on an updated load rating and updated load rating guidance in the Manual on Bridge Evaluation.  The bridge was posted at 6 tons prior to that inspection. The load rating that established the 6-ton limit was done in 1985 (attached). Photo documentation indicates the bridge was posted in 1988 at the latest (attached).

Before the most recent inspection, what was the load rating for this bridge?

Mr. Karlin: The load rating prior to 2020 was 6 tons.

How many other bridges in L & C County are in a comparable condition?

Mr. Karlin: There are 95 bridges in Lewis and Clark County. As you mentioned in a previous question, this bridge and many of our inventory are in fair to good condition. We currently have 18 weight-restricted bridges. Five of these have weight restrictions of less than 10 tons. One of these bridges is slated for replacement in 2025.  It is important to note that a weight restriction doesn't necessarily indicate a bridge is in poor condition.  In many cases the bridges were built prior to the modern trucks and truck types we see on the road today, which are much heavier than their predecessors.

As we closed this story, we called Joe Barrett for some final comments. "We really depend on this road on winter," he told the Times-Leader, to feed our cattle. We really don't have another option."

There will be a meeting in Augusta with the county commissioners at 11:00AM on Friday, December 13, next door to the Senior Center.

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