BLM, Federal Highway Administration to discuss $5 million road project
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(MISSOULA, Mont.) – The Missoula Field Office and Federal Highway Administration will hold an open house in Missoula to discuss a proposed $5 million Federal Lands Transportation Project to improve 5.7 miles of Johnsrud-McNamara Road.
The meeting, open to the public, is set for Jan. 22 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the BLM’s Missoula Field Office at 3255 Fort Missoula Road.
The heavily-used Johnsrud-McNamara Road runs parallel to the Blackfoot River 17 miles east of Missoula and provides access to five BLM recreation sites as well as the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Johnsrud Park day-use site. The approximately $5,085,000 project is authorized for funding through the Federal Lands Transportation Program and proposes to pave and chip seal 5.7 miles of the road between Highway 200 and the Whitaker Bridge day-use site.
“The project is being considered due to increasing and projected future use of the Blackfoot River corridor, to reduce the amount of dust and associated impacts on plants and recreation in the corridor,” noted Maria Craig, outdoor recreation planner with the BLM’s Missoula Field Office. “The road currently is lacking a road base and is going to require more maintenance/improvements. The Johnsrud-McNamara Road project would also improve the river-related recreation experience along this section of the Blackfoot by reducing noise from the road, improving parking near the popular Whitaker Bridge, and reducing dust pollution along the corridor.”
The public meeting will be an open-house-style one where members of the public can talk one-on-one with federal and state officials about the project.
An Environmental Assessment will be released later this year.
For more information, call the Missoula Field Office at (406) 329-3914.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.