OMAHA, Neb. -- A draft environmental assessment for the replacement of a flood-damaged, critical farm-to-market bridge in Sweet Grass County, Montana, is available for public review through Feb. 11, 2021.
The draft EA evaluates the impacts of replacing a 20-foot span wooden bridge damaged by historic Swamp Creek flooding with a new 24-foot wide by 40-foot long pre-engineered steel bridge. The bridge, in imminent danger of failing, is the only public thoroughfare for emergency services and residents west of the bridge and is vital to the farm-to-market operations that rely on the dead end road. Failure of the bridge could have caused injury or death, stranded residents, prevented emergency services from reaching residents, and impacted the local economy by stopping important agricultural operations that rely on the bridge.
Pursuant to Engineering Regulation 200-2-2, Paragraph 8 (Emergency Actions), the Omaha District commander approved the project as an emergency action due to significant life safety and economic impacts, which allowed Sweet Grass County commissioners to replace the bridge prior to completion of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 process.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft environmental assessment, which is available for viewing at: www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Reports/. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PMA-C; ATTN: Chris Weber, Swamp Creek EA; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil. Comments must be postmarked or received no later than Feb. 11, 2021.
Release no. 21-003