This week is the first chance to weigh in on designs for a $25 million project that promises to significantly change how people walk, bike, roll or drive around downtown Missoula.
An open house hosted by the city on Wednesday, Oct. 8, will show preliminary drawings for what the Downtown Safety, Access and Mobility project, or SAM, could look like. The scope includes converting Front and Main into two-way streets, altering Higgins lanes, adding more bike/ped infrastructure, riverfront trail widening and traffic signal optimization.
Downtown SAM project lead Megan McMeekin says her team and city staff will be on hand to discuss the concepts and take feedback.
“I like to compare this to building houses. Right now we have our basic concept of: ‘Is it a Craftsman-style house or is it a split-level?’” McMeekin says. “This is the first time that we’ve really been able to show the public what we’ve been working on, so I just think it’s a really exciting time to get that information out there.”
“This is the first time that we’ve really been able to show the public what we’ve been working on.”
She notes that while the public is invited to weigh in on how to tweak and improve the concept, the project still has to adhere to the terms of the RAISE Act grant — one of the largest federal transportation grants ever received in Montana — and the funding can’t be diverted to other city transportation priorities like Brooks or Reserve streets.
“Now we have to commit to exactly what we said we would do,” she says.
Despite the Trump administration clawing back transportation grants nationwide (including the $24 million to improve Highway 200 through East Missoula rescinded back in July), McMeekin notes that the Downtown SAM grant, which was obligated in April 2024, appears to be secure (emphasis ours).
The grant stipulates that the work needs to be “substantially complete” by late 2029 and final by 2031, but construction timelines haven’t been set. McMeekin says she’s hopeful the work can move quickly, since they’ve already brought on Jackson Group as a general contractor using a construction delivery agreement that prevents the need to bid out each separate project. The design team and subcontractors are led by local engineering firm DJ&A.
“This is a significant project in terms of there’s four different projects to it,” she says. “Having our contractor on board now is just super beneficial. It’s an asset for this project for sure.”
The Downtown SAM open house is Wed., Oct. 8, from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Missoula Public Library. Find an FAQ and more information at Engage Missoula. Subscribe to project updates from the city here.
Full disclosure: The author, a long-time Missoula journalist, is currently the communications manager at Front Step Community Land Trust and is a former Adventure Cycling staffer.
