House highway bill deals another blow to Kalispell bypass

Efforts to build the U.S. 93 bypass west of Kalispell suffered another major blow last week when the House Transportation Committee approved a six-year, $284 billion highway bill that didn't appropriate a dime for the long-awaited project.

A previous version of the bill set aside $22 million for the bypass, which was designated a "high-priority project" by Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.

However, Rehberg said that wasn't an option this time around, as he no longer sits on that committee. He called on Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., to help salvage the bypass by including funding for it in the Senate version of the bill.

"Max is in a position to get it done," Rehberg said. "He's one of the most powerful senators on the committee that deals with highway funding."

Baucus is the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which controls highway construction funding.

Baucus, who over the last few years has secured several million dollars for the bypass, said in a press release that he remains fully committed to the project.

"As long as I'm around, we're going to find some dollars for the bypass," he said. "It's too early to tell, but I'm asking for a large chunk of change for the project."

The massive highway bill pays for thousands of construction projects, highway programs and mass transit systems across the country. It isn't part of the annual federal budget, but allocates gas tax revenue for a wide variety of transportation jobs.

The previous spending plan appropriated $218 billion over six years. It expired in September 2003 and had to be temporarily extended several times because Congress and the White House couldn't agree on a final number for the new bill.

The House finally approved a $275 billion version last spring; the Senate approved $318 billion in spending. When it came time to reconcile the two bills, though, a compromise couldn't be reached. The effort stalled and the old bill was extended once again, until May 31 of this year.

"Ultimately, I think that cost us the bypass," Rehberg said.

By the time the House began crafting a new bill this year, he said, the playing field had changed. He was no longer on the transportation committee - meaning he couldn't tag the bypass as a high-priority project - and some newly elected representatives wanted a different split for the gas tax revenue.

"There are donor states and donee states," Rehberg said. "Montana is a donee; we get more back in gas tax revenue than we pay in. The donor states are always a little cranky, because they want more of the money that they pay in, but last year they were willing to compromise."

This year, however, the negotiations started all over and donee states apparently haven't been doing as well.

"The bypass is the big loser," Rehberg said.

The House is expected to vote on the latest, $284 billion version of the spending plan today. The Senate will reportedly start work on its draft next week.

The announcement that bypass funding was cut from the House bill was the second major blow suffered by the project in the last few weeks.

In February, Montana Department of Transportation officials announced that the estimated cost of the bypass had tripled, jumping from $28 million to $93.5 million as a result of design changes, higher traffic levels and more accurate cost figures.

They indicated that this "Cadillac version" of the bypass probably couldn't be justified. Consequently, they met with Kalispell officials and came up with a modified design that would cost about $58 million - not including right of way or utility relocation.

Asked at the time about the possibility of allocating more than $22 million for the bypass, Rehberg Chief of Staff Erik Iverson said "it's difficult to comment on the likelihood of coming up with more money, but we're sure going to try."

Regardless of what happens with the highway bill, Rehberg said Wednesday that it might be possible to include funding for the bypass as part of the annual federal budget.

"The priority hasn't changed," he said. "If Max can't get it into the highway bill, there are other ways to get the money."

Baucus wasn't ready for Plan B, though.

"I don't want folks in Kalispell to get too frustrated," he said. "This bypass is about creating jobs, improving commerce, relieving congestion and providing a safe way around the city. I'm going to do what it takes to help get it done."

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In other transportation news, Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., announced $9.4 million in federal grants have been allocated to 11 airports across Montana.

Glacier Park International Airport was the big winner, receiving $3.74 million for its upcoming runway extension. That was more than double the amount of any of the other grants.

The money is part of the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com