Bypass bids possible Nov. 12

The south half of the U.S. 93 Bypass did not go to bid on Thursday, as initially hoped, but should be ready to bid on Nov. 12.

Montana Department of Transportation Director Jim Lynch said the stormwater drainage permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had not been finalized in time for Thursday's scheduled bid-letting by the state highway commission.

The south half of the Kalispell truck route is expected to cost between $34 million and $38 million.

Lynch said the Corps of Engineers has all the information it needs to write the permit. The permit lays out parameters for road-builders to follow for handling stormwater along the bypass route.

Interested construction firms already have received plans and prepared bids as much as possible. They will incorporate stormwater requirements into those bids before submitting them to the highway commission.

For the south half of the bypass, negotiators for the Department of Transportation struck an agreement Oct. 13 with the final property owners for right-of-way purchase. They had the last signatures on Oct. 28.

If the south half goes to bid on Nov. 12, Lynch said his department could review the bids and make a recommendation to the commissioners by Nov. 17 for final approval.

Initially the south half of the bypass - stretching from U.S. 93 in south Kalispell to U.S. 2 in west Kalispell near Appleway Drive - was going to be built in three projects, divided at Airport Road and Foy's Lake Road.

But it has been condensed to two projects.

One segment, from U.S. 2 West to the north end of Airport Road, is the project that's on the Nov. 12 docket.

The other segment, from Airport Road to U.S. 93 South, is scheduled for bidding in December.

Construction could start as soon as the contractor is ready.

The next phase, stretching from U.S. 2 north to U.S. 93 near Reserve Drive, will be done later.

Lynch said his department has money to buy right-of-way along that proposed route. The north-half route is in the design phase, he added.

But the federal highway bill expired on Sept. 30, so the highway department is waiting to see what appropriations are in the new federal bill. When there is authorization for the north half, and when it's actually funded, that project can move forward.

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