There is a light at the end of the U.S. 93 construction tunnel and it is green

By B.L. Azure

The long lines and slow moving traffic related to the U.S. Highway 93 reconstruction through Pablo should be over by this fall if all goes well. (B.L. Azure photo)

PABLO - The end is near - relatively speaking - for the Spring Creek to Minesinger Trail section of the U.S. Highway 93 reconstruction project on the Flathead Indian Reservation, according to those in the know.

Last Wednesday evening representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation and Riverside Construction gave a baker's dozen or so folks the latest information on the progress of the nearly seven mile section of the divided four-lane highway reconstruction.

The Spring Creek to Minesinger Trail section which has been under construction for nearly two years will be a divided four-lane with a separated bicycle-pedestrian path along the entire route. There will be streetscape improvements in Pablo that promotes bicycle and pedestrian use. There will be five wildlife-crossing structures as well as the Mud Creek overpass structures.

Jim Mitchell, MDOT, acknowledged the inherent traffic-flow problems related to the project and said that the public would have blacktop to travel on throughout construction.

Tribal employees Larry Hall and Jason Adams discuss the access closures with representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation and Riverside Construction at last Wednesday's Highway 93 public information meeting. (B.L. Azure photo)

Mitchell said property- and business-owners would have access to their property. However, when queried about access problems to the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority complex by SKHA Director Jason Adams, Mitchell said that they do happen but promised to do a better job communicating temporary access closures with affected parties and the public. There are message boards within the construction area that advise motorists on the closures. He told Adams that the SKHA area would have access from now on.

One access that will be eliminated is the junction of old U.S. 93 with U.S. 93 in north Pablo near the Plum Creek Mill. Access to the north Pablo area will be at Light Road.

Paving will begin on the southbound lanes of the four-lane highway the first part of April. By mid-July paving will begin on the northbound lanes.

"That will basically complete the job for the road," Mitchell said, adding that work of related amenities will continue into the fall. Some of the amenities include bicycle and pedestrian paths, landscaping, fencing, wildlife crossings and potentially a pedestrian overpass near Salish Kootenai College and the tribal complex. "The project should be completed this fall."

The new highway will have undulating curving features like the completed sections near Arlee and St. Ignatius. People can get a bird's eye view of the St. Ignatius area section from the top of Post Creek Hill.

There will be four traffic-signal lights in Pablo-area as part of the project. They will be located at U.S. 93's junctions: at the new Division Street: at Pablo West-Clairmont Road; at Light Road-Courville Trail; and at Minesinger-North Reservoir Road.

Mission Valley Power line crews reroute the existing power lines through Arlee as part of the U.S. 93 Highway reconstruction project. (B.L. Azure photo)

In the southern part of reservation the plans for the two sections of the reconstruction project have been finalized but there are a couple of right-of-way issues that have to be hammered out with property owners. Those right-of-ways presently in negotiation are located in the McClure Road to the north end of Arlee section. The Evaro to McClure Road section right-of-way issues are settled and construction is slated to begin this summer around July. If the right-of-way issues are settled soon in the McClure Road to north Arlee construction could begin there near the end of July.

Mission Valley Power crews are currently moving power lines in the Arlee area as part of the project.

The McClure Road to the north end of Arlee section will be primarily a two-lane highway with alternating passing lanes. There will be some sections of divided four-lane where the roadway morphs into the divided couplet routes through Arlee. There will streetscape improvements with bicycle and pedestrian routes.

The Evaro to McClure Road section will have about 1.4 miles of undivided four-lane starting at the top of Evaro Hill. About a mile of Montana Rail Link track will have to be relocated to make room for the four-lane road. Then it will be primarily a two-lane highway with alternating passing lanes and turn lanes. There will be 10 wildlife crossings structures as well as a new bridge over MRL tracks near Grey Wolf Casino (formally Joe's Smoke Ring) and one wildlife over pass structure.

The final special Environmental Impact Statement for the Red Horn Road to Spring Creek Road is near completion. A record of decision on the preferred alternative should be made sometime this summer. Once that is done the project goes to the design phase, then bidding and finally construction.

The entire 56.3-mile project that stretches from the top of Evaro Hill to the U.S. 93-Montana 35 junction in Polson is scheduled for completion in 2009. But when it comes to construction projects there are always extenuating circumstances that put a hitch in the giddy-up and extend the best-laid plans of people.

"This job, when we're finished is going to change the landscape," Mitchell said. "It will be a lot safer road with less congestion and it will be very nice visually."