Work will begin in June on eight road construction projects in the Kalispell area, according to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). Six of the project locations will be resurfaced, and all locations will be chip sealed and receive new pavement markings.
The first major project is a two-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 93 north of Reserve Drive in Kalispell. The highway will be resurfaced beginning the week of June 5, with construction expected to last through the fall.
“This is a cost-effective preventative maintenance project that will improve the driving surface and help with maintaining the highway,” MDT Missoula District Construction Engineer John Schmidt said in a press release. “This roadway has received minor maintenance in the past 15 years, but this project marks the most significant rehabilitation.”
Construction crews will begin with night work between Reserve Drive and Stillwater River Bridge beginning June 5. The following week crews are expected to begin working north of the Stillwater Bridge during daytime hours. Improvements to this stretch of road will include a resurfaced roadway, seal and cover (chip seal), fog seal, new pavement markings and signage, upgraded guardrail, and installing shoulder rumble strips and updated barrier ends on the Stillwater River bridge.
Once construction begins, motorists can expect for north and southbound lanes to travel on the same side of the highway, reduced speed limits and width restrictions. Traffic may be directed by flaggers, pilot cars and traffic signals.
Seven additional projects will take place in the Kalispell area. Roadways that will only be chip sealed include Whitefish Stage Road, between Montana Highway 35 and Reserve Drive, and Woodland Avenue between Willow Glen Drive and Conrad Drive. Full resurfacing will be done on a stretch of Airport Road just south of U.S. Highway 93; Woodland Park Drive between Conrad Drive and Montana Highway 35, and its intersection with Conrad Drive; Evergreen Drive west of U.S. Highway 2; and Reserve Drive east of U.S. Highway 2.
Construction is expected to begin the week of June 5 on the Airport Road project area, with the remaining projects taking place later this summer.
“This project was requested by the City of Kalispell, who had resurfaced Whitefish Stage Road and Woodland Avenue recently,” Schmidt said. “This project will improve the driving surface of the other five roads and will extend the service life of all seven roads.”
Traffic control will vary at each project location. However, motorists can expect reduced speed limits, traffic reduced to a single lane at times, and width restrictions in place at each location.
More information about the planned improvements and construction activities can be found at mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/us93northreserve/. For the most up-to-date width restrictions and road conditions visit 511mt.net.
Kalispell urban area pavement rehabilitation project map. Courtesy of MDT