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Information:
Bridge History
Norwegian immigrant Tom Toston established a ranch and ferry near here in 1871, which was strategically located at the junction of the Helena to Galatian Valley road as well as the Radersburg road. Very soon after the ferry was established, a settlement grew around the ranch and ferry. The town had a post office, mercantile, hotel and smelter which processed ore from the Radersburg mines.
In the 1890′s, a bridge replaced the Toston ferry, but by 1910, it had become unsafe, so the local residents petitioned the county commissioner to replace it. The state highway department came up with this truss design for this Missouri river crossing and construction began in 1919 and was completed in July 1920. Because of it′s location, this bridge became an integral part of the community.
The bridge was made obsolete in 1955 when a new wider bridge was built to cross the Missouri River just downstream of the Toston Bridge. However, the Toston Bridge is still open to trafic crossing the Missouri river on the old alignment of US 287.
Driving Directions:
The bridge is located in Toston, Montana just south of where US highway 287 crosses the Missouri River on the New Toston Bridge.
Location:
Coordinates:
46.17167, -111.44333
Elevation:
3914 feet
Bridge Specification
Bridge Type:
Steel Warren Through Truss Three Span Deck Bridge
Date Construction:
1919
Date Open:
July 1920
Replaced:
1890 Wood Bridge
Year Bypassed:
1955
by Concrete Beam Bridge
Total Length:
532.2 feet
Deck Width:
16.1 feet
Main Span Length:
174.9 feet
Total Height:
Crosses:
Missouri River
Clearance Above:
(Vehicle Clearance) 11 feet.
Clearance Below:
(Vessel Clearance) about 12 feet.
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