Kalispell mulls traffic priorities

Urban road improvements to improve traffic flow were discussed Wednesday as Kalispell’s Technical Advisory Committee met with state highway officials

A couple of the priority projects have been on the drawing board for nearly 30 years, while other traffic improvements are tied to the upcoming completion of the U.S. 93 Alternative Route.

Among the projects under priority consideration are Whitefish Stage Road, West Reserve Drive, Willow Glen Drive from Four Corners to the Shopko/K-Mart intersection on U.S. 2, and the Grandview Drive extension, completing the road from U.S. 93 to Whitefish Stage Road.

Two years ago the committee chose Four Mile Drive as its urban aid priority project. That project was rolled into the construction of the north U.S. 93 Alternative Route project, allowing the city to plan for the next urban project that could be as long as 10 years away.

“The sheer cost of all of them is pretty expensive, between $5 and $30 million,” Kalispell Planning Director Tom Jentz said.

The cost remains the largest obstacle between the planning and completion stages, as the city only accumulates $700,000 a year from state and federal funding for urban traffic projects.

“That’s always been a frustration, as the needs are so great and the projects are just expensive,” Jentz said.

He said the city has supported the Willow Glen connector for years as a way to relieve traffic in downtown Kalispell. Despite the bypass’ upcoming completion, traffic will continue to grow in the area, Jentz noted.

All four priority projects have the potential to have a traffic-reducing impact on the U.S. 93 congestion through Kalispell.

Widening Whitefish Stage Road has been a second tier priority for nearly 30 years, Jentz said, but committee members are unsure of its effectiveness in alleviating traffic. Developing West Reserve Drive is an option once the bypass brings more traffic into the north end of Kalispell, but the real numbers are still an unknown.

Grandview Drive would allow better traffic flow for drivers from Whitefish Stage and Evergreen to get to the area of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, Kidsport and Flathead Valley Community College.

“They all have an awful lot of value,” said Ed Toavs, District 1 administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation. “But it would be good to have that traffic data on hand to see how the bypass effects the north end of town.”

Toavs also said the project that is most ready for the early phases of construction would have a better chance at gaining public support.

“One thing is just deliverance. How soon can we get this project on the ground,” Toavs said.

He said building models of the options will provide the best indicators of which project would be most effective in relieve traffic for the city.

“It’ll still be 10 years before we have the money for these projects,” Jentz said.

As well as determining the next urban priority projects, the committee also voted to remove Reserve Place, the remnant section of West Reserve Drive from U.S. 93 to Old Reserve Drive, from the urban aid system and add Old Reserve Drive, previously called Reserve Loop, to the urban aid system. This change will make Old Reserve Drive a priority for future development funding.

At the end of the meeting, Montana Department of Transportation Construction Supervisor Bob Vosen provided updates on current traffic projects around the Flathead.

South of Kalispell, state crews have been applying a microsurface layer to the asphalt, causing lane changes and restrictions. The surfacing is a higher grade than chip seal but lower than overlay. The treatment application is expected to be completed by the end of the month, but in two weeks crews will return to grind rumble strips into the shoulders and centerline of the road.

The paving project west of Whitefish is the first phase of completion, as crews will be cleaning the road surface for construction debris. Crews will return to chip seal the section from Karrow Avenue to Mountainside Drive in spring of 2016.

Before construction begins on the Kalispell bypass project on Oct. 12, the state will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on site on Oct. 7. The department has conducted weekly meetings with Kalispell contractor LHC, which was awarded the contract earlier this month.

Reporter Seaborn Larson can be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.