City, county to take another run at $18M Mullan infrastructure grant

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) The city and county of Missoula will try for a second time to land a second federal grant to fully complete missing infrastructure in the greater Mullan area.

That Metropolitan Planning Organization this week placed its support behind the effort, saying the requested federal funding will make the Sxwtpqyen area more resilient and a better-connected region of the city.

Partners in the project applied for the second grant last year but were unsuccessful. Transportation planner Devin Filicicchia said the new effort will be tailored to the goals of the Trump administration.

“We're still finalizing the scope to stay on budget and get a project that's most competitive with the current administration,” he said. “I think this application will closely resemble our 2025 submission.”

While the language in the grant application may change, the broader goals remain the same. Among them, the requested $18.4 million will fully extend George Elmer Drive to West Broadway, place a roundabout at Mary Jane and England boulevards, and transform a stretch of Mary Jane into a complete street.

The project also includes a number of trail extensions, helping connect the area across a range of transportation modes. Safety improvements will also be made, including the intersection of Mullan and Reserve.

While the last grant application focused on green infrastructure, the new effort will look toward “resiliency.”

“We're still figuring out which scope is best to frame it,” said Filicicchia. “Extending George Elmer will create a more redundant road network, offering resiliency and better access in that area. Building a community with families in mind also speaks to that priority.”

The city and county, backed by a broad group of partners, applied for and received a federal infrastructure grant in 2019. However, the $19 million award was less than requested, leaving some portions of the initial project unfinished.

Combined with local funding, the newly requested $18 million grant will bring funding available to complete the area's infrastructure to $20.4 million.

“This project will complete the bridge across Grant Creek,” said transportation manager Arron Wilson. “We can design that bridge much easier now that Grant Creek is realigned. We have all that in place. Working all that together gives us a comprehensive reliance in addressing some of those issues in the project.”

The larger Sxwtpqyen area has emerged in recent years as a hotbed of growth. The city and county master planned the 1,500 acres years ago to help guide current and future growth, including thousands of new housing units. And while some infrastructure is in place, other phases of the project remain unfinished.

“The fact that we're undergoing code reform and anticipating significant growth and develop in that area, in particular to accommodate families, is something that ties into all of this,” said City Council member Mirtha Becerra.

The grant application is due later this month.