Hospital gets OK for bigger sign

The Daily Inter Lake

Whitefish City Council members Monday approved a bigger sign on U.S. 93 for North Valley Hospital after several people complained about not finding the new hospital during emergencies.

Craig Aasved, hospital administrator, called the current signage inadequate. The JP Road off U.S. 93 was approved as the public entrance as part of the hospital master plan in 2004.

Aasved said the city, hospital and Montana Department of Transportation were working together on the problem.

"We want to resolve the issue and make it better," he said.

Permission to set up a bigger sign lasts for 180 days to give the city and hospital staffs time to work out a solution with the Department of Transportation. During this period, the public may also use the hospital's road (south of JP Road) off U.S. 93 to reach the hospital, Aasved said.

Previously, that entrance was limited to emergency vehicles. The City Council's temporary sign permission requires that the road be used as a one-way entrance only to the hospital.

Aasved expects to have a temporary sign erected within a week. He said the city, hospital and Montana Department of Transportation would use the 180-day period to evaluate traffic flow.

North Valley's regular public entrance requires that the public turn off U.S. 93 on JP Road then make a right hand turn on River Ranch Drive, which leads to the main entrance of North Valley Hospital.

Aasved said the hospital has been exceptionally busy since opening its new facility.

"It hasn't slowed down," he said.