Ahead of schedule: U.S. 93, West Reserve intersection to reopen Monday

Schellinger Construction plans to reopen the U.S. 93 and West Reserve Drive intersection Monday, leaving the junction mostly free of the orange barrels that have funneled north Kalispell traffic into single lanes for the past three weeks.

“We’ll turn the [traffic] lights on midmorning Monday,” project manager Nathan Malmin said.

The Columbia Falls company had 30 days to rebuild the intersection as part of the ongoing $6.7 million project to build the northernmost segment of the Kalispell U.S. 93 bypass.

Schellinger finished the work in 20 days.

“It’s been going real good,” said Malmin.

There were some snags.

One large batch of concrete had to be pulled out after unexpected rain a week ago. An equipment trailer was reported stolen to police. And more rain in recent days complicated paving and striping.

But overall, everything has gone well, Malmin said.

“We got very few complaints, and we appreciate everyone’s patience.”

West Reserve Drive will remain permanently closed west of U.S. 93 because the intersection has been altered to accommodate the bypass, which will run from the intersection south and west to Reserve Loop near Glacier High School.

Westbound lanes on West Reserve Drive leading to that new stretch of bypass being built will remain closed for now.

With the intersection reconstruction done, crews are turning their efforts to building the bypass to Reserve Loop.

“We’ll start working on that leg and continue on from the intersection down to Reserve Loop. We hope to pave that by late October,” Malmin said.

The goal is to have everything open to traffic by late October or early November.

Bob Vosen, Montana Department of Transportation construction engineer, said recently that  he has been “constantly amazed” by the job Schellinger Construction is doing.

“I go out there every other day and am constantly amazed at how much it has changed. They have a lot of people scurrying around. The other day out there I counted 43 men working in various places at that one intersection, with scrapers, bulldozers, excavators. I didn’t know you could get that much equipment in one area and not have it all parked,” Vosen said.

“It’s a local contractor doing a great job.”

On Thursday in Helena, Kalispell officials will ask the Montana Transportation Commission to prioritize completion of the Kalispell bypass.

That will require an estimated $33 million more to rebuild Three Mile Drive for a bridge and full interchange and then build two final segments of the bypass: one from U.S. 2 to Three Mile Drive and one from Three Mile Drive to Reserve Loop.

Commission members have questioned where the Kalispell bypass fits in Western Montana transportation priorities.

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce is offering free bus rides to Helena for people to speak in favor of completing the bypass. For more information, call the chamber at 758-2803.

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