Transportation improvement initiatives forge ahead

The Flathead Valley is poised to see a series of transportation improvement initiatives in 2023, including road improvement projects, a proposed expansion of the Mountain Climber bus service and completion of the first phase of work at Glacier Park International Airport.

Completing the first period of renovation and expansion, the airport is set to be ready for travelers next summer, says airport director Rob Ratkowski.

The $115 million airport expansion will include the addition of two restaurants, a runway viewing lounge area, and a new gate. There will also be two outdoor patio spaces, one for use as dining space and another for travelers waiting to board flights.

The airport, which broke ground on the project in 2021, has already expanded parking capacity, adding over 300 new spots this year. The airport’s last major expansion was in 1999.

Until now, the airport has had to rearrange services within their original footprint, but Ratkowski thinks the expansion will serve travelers by giving them some more space to breathe while waiting for their flights.

“This will bring back the human-scale, as well as adding capacity,” Ratkowski said.

Behind the scenes, the airport is also adding an entirely new baggage sorting and screening system, and will be adding offices for airline operations.

A lack of operations space has led to one airline using modular trailers to manage flights, and Ratkowski believes that the new capacity will help attract airlines to the increasingly busy airport.

Last year the airport set a record with over 400,000 travelers, and it is poised to break that record again this year.

The airport is still in the process of securing funding for the next phase of the expansion, which would include further gate expansion. The airport has applied for $27 million for the next phase of work through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

THE MONTANA Department of Transportation has a number of road resurfacing and safety improvement projects on tap for 2023 in Flathead County.

According to MDT engineer John Schmidt, the department will be resurfacing U.S. 93 between Reserve Drive and the Northern Pines Golf Club and is expected to begin that work when weather allows, in the spring or summer.

MDT will also be doing Kalispell urban resurfacing projects on several streets, most predominantly West Evergreen Drive. Schmidt estimates that the department will do work in June, after school is out so as to limit impact on school traffic.

Using funds from Transportation Alternative grants, MDT will undergo a shared-use path preservation project on the trails system between Kalispell and Somers.

Also in the summer, MDT will be resurfacing much of Big Mountain Road in Whitefish. According to Schmidt, the project will also include the addition of a guard rail along the steep stretch of road going up to Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Kalispell also recently was awarded a $25 million federal Rural Surface Transportation grant to widen West Reserve Drive between U.S. 93 and Whitefish Stage Road. The busy corridor has acted as a bottleneck for traffic coming to Kalispell from the east. The project will widen the road from three to five lanes. A construction date has yet to be determined, but could still be a year or more out.

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce President Lorraine Clarno is glad to see the funding for a project that has been needed for many years.

“The congestion at peak commute times has been very intense,” Clarno said in a recent interview. “The improvements are really going to improve the safety and will lend to a better flow and mobility through the area.”

THE FLATHEAD County-operated Mountain Climber bus service is exploring expansion options and seeking funding, with the hopes of returning to regularly scheduled service.

According to Elizabeth Wood, director of Flathead County Public Transit, the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated a change to on-demand service, but she would like to see future regular routes between Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

The Mountain Climber bus system has been serving a variety of people’s transportation needs, with Wood saying that most users are getting rides to and from work, school, and medical appointments. The system has some holes, however, that Wood would like to improve upon, and is hoping to get MDT pilot program funds to increase their capacity.

According to Wood, 90 percent of callers are asking for a way to travel between Whitefish or Columbia Falls and Kalispell, or vice versa. Right now commuters’ only option is to take the first bus out of Kalispell to those towns, but they are limited in their return options. The trip from the north to Kalispell and back is not possible.

Wood wants to see the implementation of a two-legged system, with one route going from Kalispell to the Glacier Park International Airport and then to Columbia Falls, and vice versa. To complete the loop, Mountain Climber would also like to run another regular route from Kalispell to Whitefish, and then to Columbia Falls.

Such a system would require a transfer location in Columbia Falls, something that the county is looking into, said Wood. These routes would also allow for residents and visitors to access the Amtrak station in Whitefish, as well as airport access.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.