MDT director outlines bridge repairs, $2M in agency savings and safety focus including work-zone enforcement pilot

Chris Dorrington, director of the Montana Department of Transportation, told the Transportation Interim Committee the department is prioritizing repairs and safety after a string of recent strikes and flood damage. He said crews have accelerated work at I-90 Bear Canyon after an oversized load struck the bridge and broke two beams, and that the bridge is expected to reopen around April 1 following beam replacement and deck repairs.

Dorrington also described a decision to replace a farm-to-market three-span approach that has repeatedly washed out, saying the department will install a new structure to remove a river pinch point rather than repeatedly repairing the same approach. "So we're gonna replace the entire thing, allow free flow, and not a pinch point in the river there or the creek," he said.

On agency operations, Dorrington said MDT has pulled some previously contracted work in-house and realized meaningful savings. He cited a freight-plan contract previously budgeted at about $275,000 that was done in-house and a broader public-information consolidation he estimated has saved roughly $2,000,000 over time. He said the intent is to reinvest those savings into roads and maintenance.

Turning to safety priorities, Dorrington asked lawmakers to ‘‘rise up and consider the past’’ on policy that addresses driver behavior. He cited a statistic he gave the committee: "46 percent of serious injuries and fatalities in Montana are, are subject to impairment," and argued that impairment, speed, distraction and seat-belt noncompliance are primary drivers of fatal crashes. He said infrastructure helps but does not eliminate behavior-driven crashes.

As an example of a policy option, Dorrington asked the legislature to consider a limited pilot for automated work-zone enforcement. "I think a work zone speed camera that automates enforcement ... would be something where if we ran a pilot where the legislature allowed the department to a certain number of applications in certain number of construction zones or work zones," he said, arguing staffing constraints for highway patrol make automated enforcement worth testing.

Committee members raised follow-up questions about damage-recovery processes, universal patching material (UPM) supply and the department's stakeholder outreach on freight planning; Dorrington said MDT will follow up with written answers and additional materials.

The committee did not vote on policy during the update; the director said staff would provide requested data and follow-ups at future meetings.