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Kalispell Bypass Wins Regional Transportation Award

The western regional America's Transportation Awards competition concluded in late June

By Beacon Staff
The Kalispell Bypass from Lone Pine State Park on Oct. 5, 2016. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

The U.S. Highway 93 Alternate Route in Kalispell has won a regional transportation award for benefiting quality of life and community development.

The western regional America’s Transportation Awards competition concluded in late June and winners were announced recently with the Montana Department of Transportation bringing home top honors. The Kalispell bypass emerged as the winner in the West among transportation projects costing between $25 million and $200 million.

The bypass, stretching more than seven miles from the south end of Kalispell to the north, was made whole in October 2016. The highway project, which took 16 years to construct, cost roughly $140 million.

The America’s Transportation Awards bio states, “After funding shortages and land acquisition difficulties that put the project on hold for years, MDT’s Kalispell Bypass-US 93 Alternate Route opened to traffic in October 2016. This new alternate route around Kalispell, which serves as a gateway to Glacier National Park and other natural attractions in the area, has cut travel time by more than 15 minutes for drivers. In addition, this $140 million alternate route has increased safety for drivers and allowed for a much more pedestrian friendly Main Street.”

Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a longtime advocate for completing the bypass, endorsed the Kalispell project for the award.

“Every year folks flock to Kalispell to do business, ski world-class slopes, enjoy Flathead Lake, and experience Glacier National Park,” he stated. “The Kalispell Bypass created good-paying jobs, improved safety, helped streamline travel for people who drive up and down the Flathead Valley and increased opportunities for local businesses. The Kalispell Bypass was many years in the making, but I know it marks just the beginning of major transportation upgrades in Kalispell and across the rest of the Flathead Valley.”

A new economic analysis, conducted by a transportation authority and an economist, shows the total economic impact of the bypass for the Flathead Valley exceeded $1 billion over the life of the project.

The America’s Transportation Awards competition attracted 30 project nominations from 12 western states. The competition, in its 10th year and sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AAA and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, recognizes transportation projects in three categories: quality of life/community development, best use of technology and innovation and new this year, operations excellence.

The three highest-scoring projects from each region will advance to the “Top 12.” Those 12 projects will compete for the grand prize, determined by a panel of judges, and the People’s Choice Award, selected by the general public through online voting. The top two winning prizes also come with a $10,000 check, to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing. Online voting begins Aug. 21. The winners of the top two awards will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Phoenix in September.