U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Missoula Field Office
Missoula Field Office
| Contacts: | Contact David Abrams 406-533-7617 |
Whitaker Bridge To Close During Repair Project
The Bureau of Land Management’s Missoula Field Office will close the Blackfoot River’s Whitaker Bridge during September in order to make minor repairs to the abutment and center pier.
The bridge, about seven miles east of Johnsrud Fishing Access Site off Highway 200, will be closed to all traffic starting Sept. 1. Recreationists wanting to use the boat launch should plan accordingly.
The project to remediate some freeze damage is expected to take one month, but could finish ahead of schedule, BLM officials noted.
For more information on the closure, call the Missoula Field Office at (406) 329-3914.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Missoula Field Office 3255 Fort Missoula Road Missoula, MT 59804