State mulls higher speed limit for U.S. 93 bypass

The 55 mph speed limit on the U.S. 93 bypass around Kalispell likely will be raised, but it’s unclear yet just how much faster motorists will be able to travel on the 7.6-mile alternate route.

James Freyholtz, the Kalispell-area traffic engineer for the Montana Department of Transportation, met with the Flathead County commissioners Monday to review a state traffic study on the bypass and share state recommendations for a higher speed limit.

While state transportation officials considered a 65 mph speed limit on the north half of the bypass, the department opted for a 60 mph recommendation for the full route for the sake of consistency, Freyholtz said, keeping a short section of 45 mph on the very south end between U.S. 93 and the Siderius Roundabout.

All three commissioners, however, favor a 65 mph speed limit on the north half between where the bypass is four lanes.

Commissioner Phil Mitchell admitted he routinely exceeds the speed limit on the bypass, going 65 and even 70 mph.

Commissioner Pam Holmquist said she believes the bypass is designed to handle higher speeds.

Commissioner Gary Krueger said he would favor 60 mph on the south end and 65 mph on the north end, and his colleagues agreed. Regarding the fact that the state has never signed the south half, Krueger said he believes “people have the ability to drive at safe speeds.”

The state study pointed out what most motorists on the bypass likely have experienced: “a 55 mph speed limit for the overall corridor is restrictive.

“Limited access and a controlled number of access points managed at the highest safety level is providing a uniform flow in traffic along the corridor,” the study concluded.

The study measured traffic speeds at the 85th percentile level, showing slower speeds at the south-end roundabouts that are designed to slow traffic. The highest speeds were logged between the Parkridge and Four Mile Drive overpasses, where top speeds were 65 mph for northbound traffic and 64 mph for southbound traffic.

The commissioners directed county Public Works Director Dave Prunty to write a letter to the Department of Transportation, supporting their recommendation of 65 mph on the north half and 60 mph on the south half, keeping the 45 mph limit on the very south end near U.S. 93.

Freyholtz said the state also will get feedback from the city of Kalispell, since the city has some jurisdiction along the route.

State transportation officials will consider the city and county input before forwarding a final recommendation to the Montana Transportation Commission, which has the final say on raising the speed limit. Freyholtz said the commission likely would consider the recommendation at its June meeting.

The study also looked at crash and citation history on the older, southern portion of the bypass, noting there hasn’t been a sufficient time period since the north half was completed to provide full data statistics for the entire route.

On the south segment 36 crashed were reported from June 1, 2014, to May 31, 2017, of which 10 involved hitting an animal and seven occurred at the U.S. 93 signal. Of the remaining crashes, 12 occurred within roundabouts and seven were unrelated in type and location.

During the study period, 359 traffic stops were made, resulting in 414 citations. A total of 56 percent of the citations were speed-limit violations. Thirteen percent of citations were seat-belt violations, while 21 percent were license and insurance violations, and 3 percent were alcohol/drug violations.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.