Project planned at crash-prone junction

The Montana Department of Transportation is asking for public comment on a project that would try to improve safety at the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and Dern and West Springcreek roads west of Kalispell.

The “intelligent transportation systems” project would include upgraded warning signs at the intersection, which has a history of crashes.

Vehicle-activated flashing warning signs installed on U.S. 2 would caution drivers about vehicles entering the highway from Dern and West Springcreek roads.

Similar signs installed on Dern and West Springcreek roads would warn drivers entering the highway about highway traffic that is approaching the intersection.

“There’s a crash history at the intersection we’ve been looking at trying to address. We looked at various options, including reconstruction, but the costs are high. So this is something we can do in the short term to try to address that,” said James Freyholtz, Montana Department of Transportation’s traffic engineer for the Kalispell area.

Continuously flashing caution signs that were installed at the intersection have not been as effective as hoped. “So this is the next step to address it,” Freyholtz said.

These would mark the first vehicle-activated intersection warning signs in the Flathead Valley. They would operate similar to the flashing signs that activate to caution drivers when a traffic signal is about to change.

The project is tentatively scheduled for construction in fall 2014 depending on the completion of development activities and funding availability.

No right-of-way acquisitions or utility relocations are anticipated to be needed.

People may submit comments about the project by mail to Montana Department of Transportation Missoula Office, P.O. Box 7039, Missoula, MT 59807-7039, or online at www.mdt.mt.gov/mdt/comment_form.shtml. Note that comments are for project UPN 7999000.

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