By Michael Howell
Montana Department of Transportation officials were in the valley last week to give the County Commissioners an update on several projects planned for Ravalli County. MDT Regional Manager Ed Toavs said the agency was especially interested in getting feedback from the commissioners on the safety improvement project planned for the Eastside Highway from the roundabout at Eight Mile Road south to Stevensville.
“On secondary roads we normally defer to counties,” said Toavs. “MDT should not make these decisions alone.” He said counties are more aware of what is happening in the area that might have bearing upon the highway project, such as growth trends or planned developments. He said the agency was hoping for a letter from the county in response to the project plans.
Toavs told the commissioners that the project began with a $6 million projected cost but for various reasons has blossomed into an $8 million project.
“That’s kind of where we want to max out,” he said.
The problem with that limit for several people in the room, including State Representative Ed Greef, is that it does not include funds for development of a shared-use path which has an estimated cost of $500,000 to $850,000.
After hearing from several members of the public advocating for the shared-use path and for wildlife crossing mitigation, Toavs did say that a shared-use path and wildlife crossing mitigation could be added to the plan but it would shorten the distance of the project accordingly without more funds.
Greef said he believed the road reconstruction should be done properly and should include the shared-use path. He said pedestrian and bicycle transportation was a safety issue. He also suggested that other funding might be procured.
Commissioner J.R. Iman advocated buying the right-of-way necessary for a shared-use path as part of the project even if building the actual path had to come later.
Much of the discussion concerned some options for lane design on the project. Initially designed with a lefthand turn lane from Bull Run to the Ambrose Curve, MDT has put together a conceptual plan for an alternative due to many comments about the lack of passing opportunities in the first plan. Any design that includes significant areas where passing is allowed must also allow for the many accesses along the road.
“It’s a trade-off,” said Toavs.
Other MDT projects planned or ongoing in the county include:
- Safety project on U.S. Highway 93 replacing and upsizing signage at an intersection at the south end of Hamilton.
- Secondary 269 at mile post 2.1 to 2.5 repair and extend existing guard rail.
- North 373, east of Corvallis intersection signing and striping.
- Eastside Highway south of Stevensville, north and south of Bell Crossing between mile post 12 and 18. Six miles of shoulder widening and roadside slope flattening.
- Mittower Road near Victor north chip seal
- Secondary 269 at Stevensville Wye turning lane project
- Highway 93 advanced traffic signal warning flashers that are coordinated with the traffic signal lights
- North of Stevi Wye to Florence, between mile posts 68.3 to 74.3, retopping six miles of roadway.
- Left turn access controls north of the stop light in Florence
- Logan Lane and Middle Burnt Fork Road intersection signing.