Bypass construction work ramping up

Construction of the north end of the Kalispell U.S. 93 bypass moves into the night hours starting Monday as the $6.7 million project ramps up.

West Reserve Drive will be reduced to two lanes from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. between U.S. 93 and Hutton Ranch Road. The busy intersection will return to normal traffic alignments by 6 a.m.

Drivers should watch for workers and equipment on or near the roadway and also expect flaggers, reduced speeds and short delays on Reserve Loop for trucks entering and leaving the construction zone, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.

The project escalates significantly beyond that starting at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

That’s when Schellinger Construction plans to start rebuilding the concrete intersection of U.S. 93 and West Reserve Drive to accommodate the new stretch of four-lane bypass that will run from the intersection southwest to Reserve Loop near Glacier High School.

The company has 30 days to complete that intersection work but will try to “hammer it out” as quickly as possible, according to a Schellinger spokesman.

During that time, U.S. 93 will at times be reduced to one lane north and south. Meanwhile, eastbound traffic on West Reserve Drive will be routed down Reserve Loop while westbound traffic on West Reserve Drive will be routed down Hutton Ranch Road.