Projects Await Federal Funds- Money for downtown blast site, airport interchange, Livingston bridge included in spending bill

As reported by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The downtown Bozeman blast site, the Ninth Street Island Bridge in Livingston and the proposed I-90 interchange at the airport all stand to get a boost from the $1.1 trillion spending bill sent to President Barack Obama on Sunday.

According to Montana's senators, $974,000 is earmarked in the appropriations bill for the city of Bozeman's downtown explosion recovery project, which will go to help property owners affected by the March 5 blast rebuild. Another $1.46 million is tapped to go toward the building of an interchange on I-90 that would make it easier to get to Gallatin Field from the interstate. And, $608,000 is slated to go to restoring the Ninth Street Island Bridge, damaged by high water in the Yellowstone River in June 2008. The Senate passed the bill, 57-45, on Sunday, and it now awaits Obama's signature. Both Montana Senators, Democrats Max Baucus and Jon Tester, voted for the bill. In total, projects in the Bozeman area are set to get almost $5 million in federal dollars from this spending bill, which funds several areas of the federal budget, including transportation, urban development and financial services.

Blast site improvements
According to Baucus' office, the downtown recovery appropriation will go toward maintaining the historic integrity of downtown Bozeman.The March 5 natural gas explosion destroyed several historic buildings on Main Street and severely damaged several more. One of the damaged buildings, the Osborne Building, is more than 100 years old and set to be demolished because of the high cost associated with making the current building safe again.The Baucus office said city officials are forming a board to look into how best the money could help business owners rebuild in "historically appropriate" ways.

I-90 interchange
The $1.5 million appropriation comes atop $8 million in previous federal earmarks, said Larry Watson, grants and projects administrator for Gallatin County. In total, the project, which has been in the works for several years, would put a new interchange on I-90 to allow drivers to get off the interstate at Alaska Road. It would make getting to the airport easier, but will also cost about $40 million, Watson said. Before the $1.5 million appropriation was announced, funding to complete the project was still between $14 million and $15 million short, he said. The latest appropriation will likely go toward design or land acquisition costs, he said.

Ninth Street Island Bridge
Flooding in June 2008 weakened the Ninth Street Island Bridge, and Livingston residents have been driving on a temporary Bailey bridge to access a small neighborhood on an island in the Yellowstone River. Marty Malone, a Park County commissioner, said engineers estimate that a new, permanent bridge will cost $800,000. That makes the $600,000 appropriation significant."It's going to go a long ways," he said. Malone said the county hopes to have the new bridge in place by mid-2010.

Other appropriations
Also receiving appropriations, according to Tester's and Baucus' offices:- The Livingston Railroad Grade Separation Undercrossing: $584,400, to "prevent the imminent failure of the transportation corridor and enhance public safety response time to a heavily populated area."- The Gallatin County Treatment Court expansion: $185,000, to "allow the court to expand the capacity of its program by adding case management, mental health access, treatment access, and housing and education assistance."- TechRanch's Technology Venture Center: $137,500 to help TechRanch expand its Bootstrapping program and "expand its reach into clean and renewable energy start-ups across the state."- Montana State University - High-Technology Assistance Program for Micro & Nano-Technologies: $133,000 to assist Montana high-technology businesses adopt micro- and nanotechnologies to improve their products and increase their competitiveness.- Prospera: $200,000 to help fund a training program that focuses on specialized business technical assistance and training to Montana entrepreneurs and companies.