MISSOULA - The conversion of Front and Main streets in downtown Missoula and improvements to Higgins Avenue and the Riverfront Trail have reached 30% in the design process and could see construction begin in late 2026.
But until then, the project has a number of hurdles to clear as engineering and design continue — and as costs increase.
“We have a workable framework for key design concepts. But we have yet to figure out some of the fine details on the design,” said project manager Megan McMeekin. “We're starting with the big picture framework for now.”
Plans to convert Front and Main back to two-way travel began nearly a decade ago. Since then, other elements have been added to the project, creating what the city now deems the Downtown Safety, Access and Mobility project (SAM).
To fund the project, the city applied for and received a $24 million federal grant. That was finalized last year, sending the project into the preliminary design and engineering phase.
Now at 30% design, project officials are working to ensure the conversion aligns with the project's original goals, avoids any technical or permitting issues, and falls within the allotted budget.
“We had to take those concepts and get everything to a workable framework and get it on paper to understand what we're building and where we're going,” said McMeekin. “We likely can't afford everything. Inflation, tariffs and other factors are influencing the cost.”
As presented, the core of the project focuses on restoring Front and Main streets back to two-way travel between Orange and Madison streets. The intersection of Orange, Front and Main will be reconfigured while a traffic signal will be installed at Front and Madison.
McMeekin said the project also includes upgrades to eight downtown traffic signals and signal timing and other improvements to 22 downtown signals.
“Parking is critical to downtown. There's also a need to design to slow down cars to improve the safety of everyone,” McMeekin said.
Bidirectional bike lanes will also be installed on Front Street, but not Main Street, primarily to maintain parking and avoid tree removal. But the Riverfront Trail will also be widened within the project area, providing another east-west bike corridor.
McMeekin said the project will also include changes to Higgins Avenue from Brooks Street to Broadway.
That portion of the project will see four travel lanes reduced to two with a dedicated center turn lane. And while Beartracks Bridge was recently completed as a four-lane structure, it will also be reduced to two lanes.
With extra space, McMeekin said the bridge will include a wide center buffer while the bike lanes will move into the roadway. An ADA accessible ramp will also be installed on the northeast section of the bridge at Caras Park.
“We ultimately landed on the switchback style that runs parallel to Beartracks Bridge,” McMeekin said. “That ensures the ramp path is as direct as possible to create an efficient ADA accessible route.”
Trails and accessibility have also been added to the SAM project, including a gateway where Ryman Street enters Caras Park. Ron's River Trail will be widened on both the east and west sides of Caras and Kiwanis parks.
McMeekin said work to bring the project to full design and construction will continue over the next year.
“Since we submitted the grant, we've seen inflation, tariffs and other factors that are really influencing the costs,” she said. “We'll likely have to defer some scope or scale it down. It's something we're tracking really closely.”
An open house is planned at the Missoula Public Library at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 8.
