County, city split on bypass

The Kalispell City Council and the Flathead County commissioners have split on how the U.S. 93 Bypass should be tackled.

And they will have to find a way to resolve their differences.

On Monday, the commissioners voted 2-1 to support a recommendation to use federal bypass money to build a connecting street in 2008 from West Reserve Drive behind Mountain View Plaza to reach the back of Hutton Ranch Plaza. The existing road in Hutton Ranch then connects with U.S. 93.

At the same time, preliminary work would be done in 2008 on the southern bypass route between U.S. 2 West and Gardner's Auction on U.S. 93 south.

But on Monday night, the City Council indicated it wanted to stick with local political and business leaders' original position to concentrate entirely on building the southern half of the bypass first.

"Has anyone changed their mind?" council member Hank Olson asked at the workshop session, at which no votes were legally allowed.

No council member spoke up to support switching from the council's original stance to meet the county commissioners' new position.

A few weeks ago, the Technical Advisory Committee - which advises local governments on highway projects in the central Flathead Valley - changed its mind about going with an all-southern-route approach first.

Instead, it made the recommendation that county commissioners Gary Hall and Dale Lauman approved Monday. Joe Brenneman dissented.

The reasoning by the Technical Advisory Committee and the commission majority is that the West Reserve-to-Hutton Ranch connecting road would provide the public with a tangible street in 2008 while the bypass will take years to complete.

And they argued that it will help relieve congestion at the U.S. 93/West Reserve Drive intersection.

State figures for this year show that intersection averages 13,260 vehicles daily on the north side; 7,290 vehicles daily on the west side; 22,340 vehicles daily on the south side; and 14,810 vehicles daily on the east side where the new road would be built.

Figures for previous years were not available Tuesday.

Hall said Hutton Ranch Plaza did not exist when the county and city governments originally named the southern half of the bypass as their top construction priority.

With Hutton Ranch now in place, "this is something we can take care of now," Hall said.

Lauman said the Technical Advisory Committee's recommendation appeared acceptable.

Brenneman said that northern Kalispell's big box stores already have diverted a significant amount of business from the downtown and that building the West Reserve-to-Hutton Ranch connecting road would increase the problem.

"A vibrant downtown doesn't happen by accident, and certainly not with decisions like this," Brenneman said.

Hall said: "I'm not sure what is going happen now that the county is in support [of the extra north-side road], but the city is not."

A complicating factor is that the Montana Department of Transportation has said it will follow local governments' wishes in scheduling construction of the federally funded bypass during the next several years.

That means the state is looking for an agreement between Kalispell and Flathead County to guide its plans.

The state hopes to nail down the 2008 bypass construction sites by Nov. 30, transportation department spokeswoman Charity Watt-Levis said.

It also hopes to put the projects out for bids next spring with construction to begin in August 2008.

From the city's perspective, however, "this whole issue is really irritating. The council took a stand that it wanted [the bypass] to start in the south," Mayor Pam Kennedy said Monday night. "I've heard from a lot of people in downtown Kalispell, and they're mad as blazes" about some federal highway money possibly shifting to northern Kalispell.

Council member Duane Larson said: "Once you begin spending money on the northern half, you're going to lose momentum on the south half."

The council decided to send a letter to the commissioners to find a way for the two governments to resolve their differences. Since the bypass would primarily be within Kalispell, council members believe that the city's choice should get priority.

The commissioners and the City Council originally chose the southern bypass segment to be built first to relieve traffic congestion in downtown Kalispell.

On Monday, council members argued that the West Reserve-to-Hutton Ranch Plaza connecting road has nothing to do with the bypass and should not receive any federal bypass money.

On paper, the western bypass project is split into seven somewhat interchangeable construction phases from the West Reserve/U.S. 93 intersection in the north to U.S. 93 at Gardner's Auction in the south.

Eight bridges also must be built.

Overall, the 8-mile, four-lane bypass is expected to cost almost $76 million - with inflation accounted for through 2010.

Of that amount, almost $26 million is earmarked for engineering and to buy land.

Congressional appropriations and some leftover money total $8.9 million available for construction in 2008, and if needed the state can borrow some of the money appropriated for 2009.

The Technical Advisory Committee recommends that $6.9 million be used to harden the ground in two spots and to build two bridges on the southern half of the bypass. It also recommends that another $3 million be spent on the West Reserve-Hutton Ranch connecting street.

Those recommendations total $9.9 million - meaning $1 million would have to be borrowed against future federal appropriations.