Highway bill delay slows Bigfork job
Two proposed projects in Whitefish and Kalispell also have been put on hold.
By WILLIAM L. SPENCE
The Daily Inter Lake
Design and development work on a major highway job in Bigfork has been tabled for several months because of the delay in passing a new federal transportation bill.
Loran Frazier, district administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, said work on the Montana 35 corridor through Bigfork has been temporarily suspended because the agency is running out of cash.
Two proposed projects in Whitefish and Kalispell also have been put on hold.
"It's a tough choice, but we can't afford to pay for all of them right now," Frazier said. "We've had to suspend them until the funding picture is a little more predictable."
The department recently issued the draft environmental assessment for the Montana 35 project, which covers the seven miles between Chapman Hill Road south through Bigfork to Woods Bay.
Proposed improvements include adding a bike path, replacing the Swan River bridge, adding two roundabouts and several landscaped medians, widening some areas and improving sight distances by straightening some curves or flattening some hills.
The Whitefish project involved improvements to the urban section of U.S. 93. The Kalispell project involved widening U.S. 2 west towards Kila.
Frazier previously estimated that it would take two years to complete the design and construction plans for the Montana 35 job, plus another two years needed for right of way acquisition.
Design efforts on the other two projects were just beginning.
The inability to continue work on these projects stems from the failure of Congress to agree on a new, six-year transportation bill.
The bill provides money for highway construction projects, mass transit and other transportation needs nationwide.
It has languished for more than a year while the Senate, House and White House wrangle over the size of the spending package. The president wanted something less than $270 billion, the Senate approved a $318 billion version and the House version came in at $275 billion.
Until a compromise can be reached, Congress has been extending the previous highway bill, which was supposed to expire last October. Last week, it agreed to extend the bill for another eight months, until after the elections.
Other major highway projects, including the U.S. 93 bypass around Kalispell and the widening of U.S. 93 between Evaro and Polson, were unaffected by the move, Frazier said.
"As far as the bypass design work, that's already funded, and we're pursuing the Lake County improvements using our bonding authority," he said. "In fact, we opened bids last week and expect to award the contract for the Arlee section on Oct. 13. I think we'll see more projects along that corridor go to contract next year."
The Arlee job includes replacing a bridge north of the community and improving a short section of highway. Frazier said the overall U.S. 93 improvements include eight major projects with an estimated cost of $129 million.
The Kalispell bypass has an estimated cost of about $27 million, of which more than $8 million has already been appropriated.
Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com