Road-dust deadline is Friday

Rural Flathead County residents who want to participate in the county’s dust-abatement program must sign up by Friday or they will be left in the dust.

The county has set aside $100,000 and will split the cost of applying magnesium chloride to sections of county roads at least half a mile long.

To qualify, the road must be maintained by the county.

Public Works Director Dave Prunty said he expects the dust palliative to cost roughly $4,000 per mile. Black oil will not be offered this year because it’s considerably more expensive.

“People are calling; they’re interested,” Prunty said. “The more the better.”

Last year the county launched its inaugural abatement effort, applying dust palliatives to more than 24 miles of some of Flathead County’s dustiest roads.

If the county gets applications for more roads than it has money for, roads will be ranked by traffic load, he said, with the busier roads taking priority.

The magnesium chloride will be applied during the last two weeks of June. It suppresses dust for eight to 12 weeks.

Residents may stop by the road department at 1249 Willow Glen Drive in Kalispell to pick up application forms.