County approves Badrock Drive upgrade

A plan to create a Rural Special Improvement District to double chip-seal a mile of Badrock Drive won unanimous support from the Flathead County commissioners on Thursday.

It's the county's first trial of the double chip-seal method - applying two layers of oil and gravel chips to reduce road dust. Lincoln and Sanders counties have used the double chip-seal process successfully for years to curb dust, County Administrative Officer Mike Pence said.

The Badrock Drive project - the stretch of road between Columbia Falls Stage and Middle roads - will be the seventh citizen-initiated district for county road improvements.

"They've worked pretty well," Pence said, noting that the state Department of Environmental Quality is "forcing our hand to improve roads where we can."

Two years ago when the county was fined by the state for poor air quality, part of the action plan that followed was finding ways to reduce road dust.

The county Road Advisory Committee recommended the double chip-seal pilot project for Badrock Drive because it will cost considerably less than paving and will give county road officials insight into its effectiveness, Pence said.

To successfully protest the Badrock Drive district, more than 50 percent of the affected property owners would have had to protest. There were 15 protests from the 45 property owners, but five had signed waivers of protest and legally can't be considered.

"Even if we count the waivers, it's 28 percent" opposition, Commissioner Joe Brenneman said. Without the waivers, 19 percent of property owners protested.

The estimated cost of the 10-year bond is $262,371, which equates to about $486 per parcel. The assessments could be less once the county completes a traffic study on the one-mile section.

The county will pay for all of the base work and for the percentage of through traffic that uses that portion of Badrock Drive, Pence said. The more through traffic, the more the county contributes.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com