New sidewalks create safer route through Evergreen
After breaking ground on the project in mid-April, the first phase of the long-awaited Evergreen sidewalk project is complete resulting in sidewalks from the Tractor Supply to Evergreen Junior High.
“It’s important to remember what a benefit this is particularly to our school district and for safe routes, but it’s also a benefit to anyone that wants to get around the Evergreen community,” said Laurie Barron, superintendent of the Evergreen School District.
Children traveling to and from school in Evergreen have been forced to walk or bike along U.S. 2, which routinely sees over 20,000 vehicles a day, without sidewalks. The district is not big enough to qualify for state bus funding. Prior to construction, children walked along a dirty cow path parallel to the busy highway.
“We see students using it already,” Barron said. “It’s much better than a dirt path.”
The lack of sidewalks created a safety risk, school officials said, and the fight to get funding took years. Local groups, such as Evergreen Community Partners, have been working to address the issue since 2005.
In 2021, in cooperation with the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, Evergreen Community Partners received $1 million from the state Department of Transportation for the construction of Phase 1, which was completed in mid-October.
“We missed the deadline for school starting by a couple of weeks, but I think Phase 1 went really smoothly,” Darla Harmon, president of Evergreen Community Partners, said.
Money for Phase 2 was set aside in House Bill 5 during the 2023 legislative session, much to the credit of former Rep. Tony Brockman. The project ultimately received federal funds from the Department of Transportation, totaling $999,655.
The allocation came after Brockman initially sought to secure money through standalone legislation. After it was tabled in the House, the sidewalk project was subsequently tied into the larger infrastructure bill.
The state funding for Phase 2 was frozen until the Department of Transportation finished reviewing its transportation assistance fund applications, which Evergreen applied for. When department officials chose to award Evergreen a grant of $1 million through that program, the money in HB 5 went back to the state.
“We get two stabs at $1 million dollars,” Brockman said in May. “Either way, kids in Evergreen are gonna get sidewalks.”
Preparation for Phase 2 has begun, including canvassing and getting in touch with property owners on properties where the sidewalk will be constructed. Residents can expect construction in the summer of 2026.
There is also talk of a Phase 3, which would add sidewalks to West Evergreen Drive.
“Ideally, the end game is that everything is connected into the Parkline Trail and also into the path on Helena Flats, that’s what we would like to see for the future, but it is a long game,” Harmon said.
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
A boy pedals a bicycle along the sidewalk on U.S. Highway 2 in Evergreen on Thursday, Nov. 14. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider