Missoula’s Russell Street Corridor Improvements Will Take Time

It's expected to take a couple of years to get the next phase of improvements started on the Russell Street Corridor, completing a mile-and-half of badly needed changes along the busy street.

Yet when you consider it's taken nearly 30 years to get to the point, a little more time seems like a "well worth the wait" situation.

The news this month that Missoula will receive a $59.5 million grant completes a reconstruction goal that was first identified in the city's Long Range Transportation Plan in 1996.

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Who pays for improvements to Russell Street?

The project will reconstruct Russell Street from Dakota Street, just north of the 3rd Street intersection, all the way south to Mount Avenue, a distance of 1.5 miles.

Additionally, the project will include improvements on West Broadway west to Mullan.

The money comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, paying for 80% of the work. The remainder will come from the federal multimodal fund and state gas taxes, completing the full funding of $74.4 million.

One of the biggest street projects in recent times

“This is great news for Missoula,” Mayor Andrea Davis said. “This federal investment means we can finally move forward on this transformative project for Missoula that has been decades in the making. Without the federal investment of this size, we would not be able to accomplish this important project to move people, cargo, and services safely and effectively through our community.”

“MDT is excited for the opportunity to continue working with the City and the MPO to move this project that is so critical to the community forward,” said MDT District Administrator Bob Vosen. “This is another great example of how teamwork can benefit all users of the regional transportation network. I thank the team from the MPO for putting together such a great application under a very tight deadline.”

READ MORE: Support strong for Russell Street's next phase

Lots of work to do

As we saw with the difficult replacement of the Russell Street Bridge, and the first phase of the work that improved the road down to Dakota, reconstruction will bring some challenges that will take time to address. That includes right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation.

However, engineers were even working on that section as the bridge and north end were being completed. So much of that "prep work" has already been accomplished.