Following winter maintenance, grader work is completed to reshape the County roads and re-establish ditches. The bulk of this work is to cut the surface at least to the bottom of the deepest potholes and re-lay the material at a minimum 2% crown.
While reshaping the roads, supervisors are also making assessments to determine which roads need additional maintenance prior to dust abatement, including brush cutting, tree removal, dig-outs, correction of any drainage problems and the need for additional surface gravel.
A week prior to dust abatement application, a grader crew is dispatched to do final preparations of the road surfaces since several weeks may have elapsed between spring re-shaping and the dust abatement application.
The day of application, the grader operators are scarifying the road surface (with carbide tips on the moldboard) one to two inches in depth to ensure maximum penetration of dust palliative. A water truck is assigned with the graders and distributors to water road surfaces in order to maintain optimum moisture content.
If dust palliative is not applied within 24 hours of preparation, the road shall be re-prepped before application. Re-prepping the road may be significantly delayed due to workload and scheduling.
During the day(s) of application of dust palliative, the County may randomly test each distribution truck with a hydrometer to ensure that the palliative meets recommended concentrations.
2026 Abatement
If your road is not on the this list but you would like dust abatement work done, please print and sign this Commitment Letter. This letter is due back back to Missoula County Public Works by Friday, March 20.
Having your footage on the list helps us get a better bid price for the material we use. Bids for our dust abatement material will be due in April.
For reference, the 2025 price was $0.70 per linear foot. We always anticipate that each year the price will be slightly higher.
Proposed 2026 Sites
- Nine Mile Road from end of pavement to 8.95 miles (8.95 mi)
- Conifer Drive from Nine Mile Road to end of maintenance (1.01 mi)
- Brookview Drive from Conifer Drive to Eastgate Drive (0.36 mi)
- Eastgate Drive from Six Mile Road to Conifer Drive (0.56 mi)
- Six Mile Road from Nine Mile Road to just past Wapiti Road (1.30 mi)
- Bible Lane from Petty Creek Road to end of maintenance (0.62 mi)
- Southside From Petty Creek Road (0.28 mi)
- Houle Creek Road from end of pavement to Twin Lakes Road (1.47 mi)
- Twin Lakes Road from Houle Creek Road to end of maintenance (0.30 mi)
- Fred Lane from Frenchtown Frontage road to end of maintenance (0.95 mi)
- Derby Drive from Highway 10 West to end of maintenance (0.3 mi)
- Summit Drive from Highway 10 West to end of maintenance (0.32 mi)
- Inspiration Drive from Highway 10 West to end of maintenance (0.34 mi)
- Futurity Drive from Highway 10 West to end of maintenance (0.29 mi)
- Point Six Road from Butler Creek Road to turnaround at Butler View Ln (0.39 mi)
- Big Flat From end of pavement (0.57 mi)
- Deschamps Lane from bridge to Rollercoaster (0.54 mi)
- Moccasin Lane from Deschamps Lane to Mullan Road (2.40 mi)
- Roller Coaster Road from Deschamps Lane to Highway 10 West ( 0.90 mi)
- Snow Bowl Road from end of asphalt to end of maintenance (0.47 mi)
- Mountain Home Lane from Highway 93 to Gray Wolf Road (1.35 mi)
- Gray Wolf Road from Mountain Home Lane to Hi Francis (1 mi)
- Hi Francis from Gray Wolf Road to end of maintenance (1.23 mi)
- Sun Valley Road from Highway 93 to King Road (0.71 mi)
- King Road from Sun Valley to West Carlton Creek Road (0.50 mi)
- West Carlton Creek Road from end of pavement to end of maintenance (0.65 mi)
- Mill Creek from the bottom of the hill after Thayer Dr to the 2nd intersection with Neil Dr. (0.19 mi)
- Mabelle Lane from Miller Creek Road to cul-de-sac (0.10 mi)
- Miller Creek Road from end of pavement to school bus turnaround (1.80 mi)
- Larch Camp Road from Pattee Canyon Road to the end of maintenance (1.84 mi)
- Rimel Road from Whitaker Drive to end of maintenance (0.51 mi)
- Deer Creek Road from end of pavement to start of millings (0.65 mi)
- Morrison Lane from end of pavement to end of maintenance (1.70 mi)
- Placid Lake Road from end of millings to intersection of North/South Placid Lake Road (1.28 mi)
- Woodworth Road from Highway 83 to Refuse District (1.40 mi)
- Riverview Drive from bridge to Snowmass Drive (0.60 mi)
- Spruce Lane (half shot) from Redwood Lane to Locust Lane (0.20 mi)
- Elm Drive (half shot) from Cedar Lane to Pine Drive (0.20 mi)
- Pine Drive (half shot) from Oak Drive to Alder Lane (0.40 mi)
- Tamarack Drive (half shot) from Redwood Lane to Locust Lane (0.36 mi)
- Morrell Creek Road from end of pavement to end of maintenance (0.92 mi)
- Cedar Lane (half shot) from Highway 83 to Spruce Drive (0.26 mi)
- Highland Drive (half shot) from Canyon Drive to corner (0.44 mi)
Participation
If you would like to participate in the dust abatement program, please fill out the form below or call 406-258-3710.
Planning starts in late January/early February each year, so please look for an email around that time as we finalize the 'Proposed Abatement List' of roads that MCPW will cover. As in previous years, the county will be doing all of the work and contracting out for the magnesium chloride only.