U.S. 93 project wraps up

By the end of today, U.S. 93 north of Kalispell could be open to four-lane traffic.

If everything goes right, Montana Department of Transportation Director Jim Lynch said Wednesday morning, the 35-mph speed-limit signs should come down and traffic should flow normally.

The latest he anticipates is sometime Friday, barring bad weather or unforeseen circumstances.

"There still will be some incidental work the contractor is doing" such as landscaping, Lynch said, "but both sides and the full-function interchange will be in use."

A center median separates the northbound lanes from the southbound lanes for a stretch.

On Wednesday afternoon, work crews were brushing the chip-sealed road surfaces and wetting them down in preparation for striping. Pilot cars still were leading traffic through the pylons.

The cost for rebuilding and widening the 3.3-mile stretch of highway, which features an overpass at the junction with Church Drive, is $6.2 million.

Lynch said the Church Drive interchange will be a big safety improvement.

"The interchange is working well," he said. "It's nice not to compete with both lanes of traffic. It's a lot safer, with no left turns in front of traffic Church Drive will be a big safety improvement."

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com