Columbia Falls will receive $10M grant for street project

Columbia Falls will see more than $10 million in federal funding to rebuild part of 13th Street West and Fourth Avenue West to better serve the high school and the new Glacier Gateway Elementary School.

Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, announced Monday the city was successful in obtaining a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Tester was the lone vote from Montana’s Congressional delegation to support the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“As Columbia Falls continues to boom, it’s critical that the city has up to date infrastructure to support its rapid growth,”Tester said Tuesday. “Through my bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act we’ve been able to grow the RAISE program, and in turn help support our gateway communities like Columbia Falls. These investments will make it easier for folks to operate small businesses, get to work or school on time, and travel around some of Montana’s most sacred natural treasures.”

The city has applied for this funding, through various iterations, for several years now, but to no avail.

This year council actually debated whether to apply again, because applying for the grants typically costs several thousand dollars.

This year, it worked out.

The project includes 7,000 linear feet of roadway, approximately 9,075 linear feet of new sidewalks, and approximately 4,760 linear feet of buffered multi-use pathways, numerous intersections, parking, and Americans with Disabilities Act access improvements.