Z -- Limestone Pass Trail No. 143 on the Flathead National Forest

The Flathead National Forest is preparing to release a solicitation for construction and reconstruction work on approximately six miles of the Limestone Pass Trail No. 143, located within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area in Montana. The project involves comprehensive trail work including clearing, excavation, building switchbacks, constructing waterbars, ditches, culverts, and turnpikes, with some blasting required. Due to the wilderness designation, the use of motorized or mechanized equipment, including mountain bikes, is prohibited on the trail and access routes. While the solicitation is planned for issuance in the winter of 2004, it is contingent on funding availability, and no formal pre-solicitation tour is scheduled; interested parties are encouraged to visit the site independently before winter conditions limit access. This opportunity is managed by the Lolo National Forest office under the Department of Agriculture, with the point of contact being Barbara E. Venturini in Missoula, Montana. Preliminary project documents including vicinity and project maps, as well as a prospectus, are accessible through the Flathead National Forest. Prospective contractors are advised to review these materials and conduct site visits prior to solicitation release to fully understand the scope and restrictions associated with work in this environmentally sensitive wilderness setting.