Water Projects

Cooley-Stoddard Water Main Replacement

Location:   Area along Cooley, Stoddard, Bulwer, and Burton streets on Missoula’s north side

Description:  This project will replace approximately 2,600 linear feet of 6-inch invasion steel water main that was installed in 1947. This is very thin-walled steel that is susceptible to corrosion. 

The Trinity-Cooley apartment complex is required to replace half of the street adjacent to its project and install a new fire hydrant. This provided the opportunity for Missoula Water to combine the hydrant installation with the main replacement work to take advantage of the already torn-up street. The project was expanded to additional blocks so that we could remove all the invasion steel pipe in this area in a single project.

Bids were opened on January 13, 2022. Three bids were received, and Prospect Construction, Inc. was the lowest bidder with a total bid of $1,019,926.

Benefits:   Replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.

Project Dates:   Scheduled to begin on March 21, 2022, with an anticipated completion date of August 29, 2022. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.

Street Closure Maps by Date:

March 21 to May 6

May 8 to June 8                                                                                                                   

June 8 to July 21

July 22 to August 29

Project Contact:   Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us

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Cooper Street Alley Water Main Replacement Project

Location:  The alley between Cooper St. and Toole Ave. from Hawthorn St. to Burns St.

Description:  This project will replace a total of 1,250 linear feet of existing 6-inch kalemein water main down five blocks of the Cooper Street alley. This main has a history of leak repairs and needs to be replaced. This is a complicated project in a tight alley with multiple other utilities. A majority of the new water main will be bored.

Bids were opened on November 2. The total bid is $1,013,580.50.

Project Dates:  Scheduled to begin on May 2 with completion expected mid-September 2022.

Project Map (pdf)

Project Contact:   Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us

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Lincoln Hills Water Storage Tank Projects

Location:  Two new water storage tanks will be constructed next to the two current water tanks off of Contour Rd. and Lincoln Hills Dr., as shown on the map below.

Description:  This project will replace two undersized aging metal tanks up in Lincoln Hills. The Lower Lincoln Hills tank will be a partially buried, cast-in-place concrete tank installed adjacent to the existing tank. The Upper Lincoln Hills tank will be a fully buried, cast-in-place concrete tank and will also be installed next to the existing metal tank.

Crews will begin with the upper tank but will alternate between the two sites as needed during construction to make the best use of their time. There will be periods when the concrete needs to cure, so crews can work on the other tank during this time. Alternating between the two tanks will better help get both tanks installed according to the schedule.  

The Public Works & Mobility Department has partnered with Missoula Parks & Recreation’s Conservation Lands staff to ensure that the sites are restored to a natural condition. Before excavation work begins to clear the area where the new upper tank will be installed, P&R staff will collect some of the native plant species and move them to their greenhouse. The plants will be cared for there until the construction work is done, and they can be replanted on areas where vegetation was cleared. Conservation staff have already been working on raising additional native plant species in their greenhouse that will be planted along with the removed plants.

Prospect Construction is the contractor who will be doing the construction.

Benefits:  Replacing these tanks was identified as a priority project in our Water Facility Plan because the undersized tanks cause a multitude of issues, especially excessive pump cycling, which leads to pumps and motors wearing out more quickly. The new tanks will also provide more storage capacity for Missoula Water customers and firefighting needs.

Project Dates:  Begins April 18 with a scheduled completion date of November 15 for the upper tank and December 1 for the lower tank. These dates are subject to change due to weather and other circumstances.

Project Map (pdf)

Project Contact:  Andy Schultz at SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us or 406-552-6758

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Beckwith Water Main Replacement Project 

Location:   Beckwith Ave. between Rollins St. and Woodford Ave.

Description:  This project will replace approximately 1,430 linear feet of 6-inch kalamein steel water main that was installed in 1914. This is very thin-walled steel that is susceptible to corrosion and leaking. 

Beckwith Ave. is scheduled to be fully repaved in summer of 2024, so this provided the opportunity for Missoula Water to replace a section of leaking water main before the full repave project.

Because the water main being replaced runs under Stephens Ave., the contractor will bore under Stephens instead of digging up the street, which was fully paved and chip sealed in the last few years. The boring work will take place mostly at night between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to avoid disrupting traffic on this busy street. Details on when this work will take place will be posted on this page once available.

Bids for this project were opened on January 12, 2022. Four bids were received, and 3 Rivers Construction was the lowest bidder with a total bid of $498,802.22.

Benefits:  Replacing this section of main will reduce water leakage, improve service reliability, and coordinate maintenance efforts across City departments. Replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.

Project Dates:  Scheduled to begin between May 30 and June 6 with an anticipated completion date of August 10 for work between Woodford Ave. and Stephens Ave. and an anticipated completion date of September 14 for work between Stephens Ave. and Rollins St. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.

Work will start at Woodward Ave. and move west. Portions of Beckwith Ave. will be closed to all traffic during construction, usually one or two blocks at a time, so drivers and bicyclists should follow detour signs. Streets will reopen to local traffic only once new water main sections are installed, but there will be no through traffic allowed on Beckwith Ave. until the project is completed, including paving. Drivers and bicyclists should proceed slowly and cautiously due to rough and patched areas in the street. 

New asphalt will be installed curb to curb once all water line work is done.

Street Closure & Detour Maps (pdf)

Project Contact:   Adam Marsh, Utility Engineer, 406-529-8835 or MarshA@ci.missoula.mt.us