A routine inspection of the bridge carrying traffic over the Yellowstone River in Billings, Mont., led to state transportation officials prohibiting overweight loads.
The Montana Department of Transportation said because of more than 60 bolts not meeting tension requirements, the Interstate 90 bridge is not able to accommodate overweight loads on eastbound or westbound lanes.
Even loads with permits will be restricted from using the bridge between mile markers 450 and 453 until necessary repairs can be made.
Traffic alerts for Montana and across the country are available on this Land Line resources page.
According to state transportation officials, the structure with an average daily vehicle count of 29,000 is safe.
One local trucking company told KTVQ-TV in Billings that a detour its trucks were forced to take due to the bridge restrictions on overweight loads added an hour to their normal route.
A timeline for when the restrictions on the bridge over the Yellowstone River might be lifted was not available as of Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Yellowstone River bridge project
A project to widen I-90 from two lanes to three lanes in Billings between the North 27th Street and Lockwood interchanges commenced in 2021.
These plans included the reconstruction of the Yellowstone River bridge and Talen Energy railroad spur line. Irrigation crossings, lighting, signage and on/off-ramp upgrades were additional project features.
The improvements were to enhance roadway safety, traffic operations and future capacity needs, the project website said.
Funding for the project was a combination of federal (88.5%) and state/local funds (11.5%). Montana’s federal road and bridge revenue comes from fuel taxes as well as funds apportioned through federal highway legislation.
Completion of the project was announced earlier in 2024. LL
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