Heavy-equipment students honored for trail work

Flathead Valley Community College and its heavy equipment operator students have been named Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana Group Volunteer of the Year for their contributions to the organization’s Ashley Creek-to-Kila Project.

Under the direction of instructors Robert Allen and Bob Arrabito, the students contributed 1,549.5 hours to the project, saving Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana $31,507 in labor costs. 

 “This contribution really helped our effort from Smith Valley Schools to Kila,” said Dick Siderius, president of Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana. 

“We are happy and proud because the trail is finally almost complete thanks to the students’ hard work.”

From April through July 2009, the students worked on the project that begins on Meridian Road and continues 10.4 miles beyond Kila School.

They used heavy equipment to take the old railroad bed between Kalispell down to grade, fill in the existing holes, grade, compact and slope and prep it for pavement. 

The project used recycled pavement and building ramps leading up to and coming down from the bridges, creating a smooth transition by eliminating areas that contained drop-offs.

“The students learned a lot,” said Bill Roope, director of career technical education. He noted that this experience should help students land careers as heavy equipment operators.

“I don’t think there is a better place to learn than on the job,” Roope said.

For more information on Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana, visit www.railstotrailsofnwmt.com. 

For more information about the college’s Heavy Equipment Operators program, call 756-3847 or visit www.fvcc.edu.