After a slew of public meetings revolving around Lakeside this summer, I’ve become immersed in conversations surrounding the growth and challenges facing the unincorporated community of roughly 2,700 people on Flathead Lake.
Both agenda items drew emotional responses from Lakeside residents, many who raised issues about things like Flathead Lake’s water quality, a growing population and a shift in the area’s culture.
Traffic congestion was also a top concern when Lakeside locals largely spoke in opposition of the Flathead Lake Club at planning board and commissioner meetings. While the future homeowners at the new club will likely be seasonal, Lakeside residents said the growth would contribute to an already dangerous traffic situation.
With U.S. Highway 93 running through the middle of town, Lakeside is a hot spot for traffic accidents and public members have been vocal about the hazards it poses for the community.
“Lakeside as it sits today is not prepared for this influx of new people,” resident Kirk Kleinen said at a July planning board meeting.
According to the study, Lakeside is the busiest section for both vehicles and pedestrians, with traffic volumes increasing throughout the entire corridor at an average annual rate of 2.1% per year. From 2017 to 2022, the number of housing units in the Lakeside, Lindisfarne and Somers areas grew between 11.5% and 53.8% each year. In the last five years, 56 of the 814 total car crashes in the corridor were reported in Lakeside. DUI violations are also concentrated between Somers and Lakeside.
The study concluded that a “full reconstruction of U.S. 93 through Lakeside may help address safety and congestion concerns.”
MDT recently extended the public review period for the U.S. 93 Polson-Somers Corridor Study, with comments now being accepted through Sept. 19, 2025.
Draft reports are posted at here. Comments may be submitted using MDT’s online comment form or by contacting Jackson Lang at (406) 444-3246.
I’m Maggie Dresser, here to drive you through today’s Daily Roundup.
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