Dust control planned on 42 miles of county roads

The placement of a dust-control product on 42 miles of gravel roads in Flathead County is scheduled to begin around June 1.

County commissioners last week awarded a contract for the work to Montana Dust Control of Whitefish.

That company bid $1.11 per lineal foot for the work.

The county has budgeted $100,000 for the work; participating property owners along the involved roads share in the cost for another $100,000.

This year, for the first time, more county residents applied for the program than the county had budgeted funds for the work, county Public Works Director Dave Prunty said.

If all 42 miles are completed this year, the contract price would increase by $45,000, half of which would be the county’s responsibility to pay.

However, in past years, after property owners have been billed for their share, some have dropped out of the program, Prunty said. So, it’s possible the project cost won’t exceed the $200,000 total.

Participating property owners have been billed and have about two weeks to pay for their work. If all 42 miles remain in the project, Prunty said he would meet with commissioners again to see if they want to allocate $22,500 from the department’s reserve fund to pay for the additional work.

At an April meeting, County Administrator Mike Pence told commissioners if property owners are willing to split the cost for the work with the county, he would recommend  additional money be allocated for the project.

Prunty also told commissioners that LHC has offered to give the county 4,500 tons of pit run gravel to be placed on Stillwater Road, stretches of which are “bordering on impassable.”

LHC also offered to repair a few major potholes on the road, getting them to the overlay point. Then the county will patch the holes with asphalt.

“LHC has a big impact on that road,” Prunty said. “They’re stepping up to the plate.”

As more county roads have dried out, commissioners removed weight restrictions on additional roads.

Weight limits on all county roads on the valley floor were lifted last week.

Personnel in the county’s road and bridge department continue to evaluate roads where weight limits remain in place to recommend removing the weight limits when conditions permit.

Commissioners also approved the closure of Grand Drive and Electric Avenue in Bigfork from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 6 and 7 for the Bigfork Festival of the Arts.

About a dozen Bigfork residents attended the commissioners’ meeting to express their support for the street closure.

Sculptor Ken Bjorge of Bigfork said the festival creates excitement in Bigfork for two days every summer. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

“It’s inconceivable this event might be canceled,” he said. “I urge you to continue the present situation.” The festival has been held on the two downtown streets for decades.

Some Bigfork business owners wanted the festival moved to another site to avoid the street closure, which they said could interfere with customer traffic in their stores and could pose potential emergency access problems, Commissioner Jim Dupont said.

But, Dupont said the Bigfork fire chief has said emergency access issues have been addressed.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.