Work could affect key junction for a month

Building the northernmost phase of the U.S. 93 Alternate Route will bring about a month of construction, congestion and traffic restrictions to one of north Kalispell’s busiest intersections — possibly as soon as this fall.

The half-mile span of four-lane bypass will run from the intersection of U.S. 93 and West Reserve Drive down to Reserve Loop.

With the estimated $8 million project going out for bids in late May, the Montana Department of Transportation expects to award a contract in early July with construction starting in early August.

“The real key component is the work in that intersection,” construction engineer Bob Vosen said during a project update with Kalispell Technical Advisory Committee members on Tuesday. “That’s the meat of this project. The rest is pretty simple.”

The project will reconfigure the U.S. 93/West Reserve Drive intersection that has an average or more than 24,000 vehicles a day, turning it into a concrete intersection with an entrance and exit for the bypass near the spot where West Reserve Drive now enters from the west.

At this time, Montana Department of Transportation expects to give the contractor 30 to 35 days to finish that intersection work — significantly longer than previously reported.

The “disturbed area” will extend about 250 feet north and 250 feet east from the intersection and about 200 feet south, just north of the southern entrance to the Conoco gas station there.

“We are anticipating the work will have a dramatic effect [on traffic]. It shouldn’t result in absolute gridlock with no movement there. But we can’t say it will be delay-free,” Vosen said.

West Reserve Drive will become a local road and dead-end near the Mountain Villa Apartments. It will be resurfaced with new pedestrian and bike paths from the dead end to Reserve Loop and have access to and from the new span of bypass.

Intersection work is anticipated to take place either later this fall or early next spring to avoid the busiest summer tourist season, Vosen said. Various timing and phasing components of the project will be worked out with the contractor as bids are reviewed and a contract is awarded.

The contractor likely will have to keep at least one lane open for northbound traffic and one lane open for southbound traffic while the intersection is being rebuilt. And the contract will include an incentive clause to encourage the contractor to finish the intersection work as quickly as possible by offering extra money for every day it is done ahead of schedule and imposing “disincentive” charges for every day it is late.

Drivers who need to get through the area to the east or west or to local shopping destinations will want to use Hutton Ranch Road and Reserve Loop.

“The big thing is just to stress if people don’t need to go through that intersection, if they can use Hutton Ranch Road or Reserve Loop to go east or west, that will help everybody,” Vosen said.

The Montana Department of Transportation will announce various details about the work as they are finalized with a contract award.

“We’ll know more in July. More updates to come,” Vosen said, adding that so far he has heard few concerns about the project and the impact it will have on north Kalispell traffic. But he expects that to change as the project nears.

“Give it a couple more months. Wait until the first cones start to go up.”

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.