Top Story

US 93 reconstruction through Arlee causing concern

By B.L. Azure

Nearly 100 Jocko Valley residents and Arlee business owners questioned Montana Department of Transportation officials and Schillenger Construction representatives about the Arlee couplet. (B.L. Azure photo)

ARLEE — The town of Arlee will be feeling the brunt of the U.S. Highway 93 reconstruction project this spring and summer as construction crews work on the portion known as the Arlee couplet and that has raised the hackles of folks in the area.

Close to 100 area residents attended a public meeting last Tuesday in the Arlee Community Center in hopes of getting a little hackles adjustment from representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation’s Missoula District and Schellinger Construction, the prime contractor of the Arlee couplet section of the U.S. 93 reconstruction project.

The public meeting was called to inform the locals on what to expect from the two sections of Highway 93 that are being reconstructed this spring and summer.

The Evaro to McClure Road project begins at U.S. Highway 93 milepost 6.4 atop Evaro Hill and extends north through Evaro onto the Flathead Indian Reservation ending at U.S. 93 milepost 12.8.

The McClure Road to North of Arlee Couplet project begins at the U.S. 93 milepost 12.75 and extends north through Arlee ending at milepost 18.5.

Arlee area residents and business owners query Montana Department of Transportation officials about a myriad of concerns related to the Highway 93 reconstruction project at last week's public information meeting. (B.L. Azure photo)

It was the latter project, especially the in-town disruption caused by construction of the couplet that was caused the most concern among the public. Noise, speed limits, safety concerns about school children, business access, sight pollution, lost parking spaces and dust abatement were the main concerns exhorted.

However, more questions than answers came out of the meeting. But the parties involved promised to get the answers and to work closely with concerned citizens and entities to alleviate, as much as possible, the disruption caused by the major construction project.

The Arlee couplet is comprised of, among other things, the southbound and northbound lanes of U.S. 93. The existing roadway through town will be reconstructed as a two-lane northbound roadway. A new two-lane southbound lane has been constructed just west of town approximately two blocks west of the existing highway through town.

The business community is concerned about public access to their businesses during the construction window, which ends Oct. 1, as per the contract.

Nathan Malmin, U.S. 93 reconstruction superintendent for Schellinger Construction, said the southbound lane would be paved by the end of this week. If the schedule holds the two-way traffic on the present highway will then be shifted to the new southbound lane Monday, April 27. Work will then begin on the new northbound lanes through town. The new southbound lane will temporarily be a two-way highway until the northbound lane is finished.

They will also be paving four east-west streets - North Couture, Finley Creek, Wessinger and Whitworth - that link the northbound and southbound sections of the couplet. All the in-town highway and street reconstruction sections will be paved with curb and gutters as well as other amenities.

Malmin told those in attendance that there would be accesses to the Arlee businesses from the new roadway on the west side of town. “We will do our best to maintain smooth access to the businesses from the southbound lane,” he said, adding that he understood the concerns but work is proceeding according to contract as well as the warm weather needed to properly lay asphalt. “This is construction season and we want to finish this (before cold weather arrives).”

Ed Toavs, MDT Missoula District engineer said there would be signage on the new southbound lane that directs motorists to the Arlee businesses.

“There will be four accesses along with signs to let people know you are open for business,” Toavs said. “There will not be small signs for individual businesses but large ones with businesses listed. Signs seem to work well.”

Surveyors do site work along North Couture Loop Road in Arlee where gutters and asphalt will be poured and laid. (B.L. Azure photo)

Some owners of property adjacent or close to the new southbound lane that skirts the west side of town expressed dissatisfaction with how close their homes and property are to the new highway. Dust, noise, lighting, vibration, parking loss and fencing along the new southbound lane topped their concerns.

Those who expressed concerns said they were promised abatement of the problems during public meetings years ago.

“We’re construction, we aren’t involved in the design. We come in with the designs and do the work,” said John Benda, MDT Missoula District construction engineer in charge of the reconstruction project. “I don’t know what you were told back then. Some times we can do something about concerns but we are here to build the highway.”

Benda said MDT would review the concerns expressed and to see how much they can deviate from contract language to abate the perceived problems. However, he added that the contract had been let and there couldn’t be any large deviations from contract language and requirements. He said the concerns about the unattractiveness of the proposed chain link fence along the southbound lane were addressable. He acknowledged that a byproduct of the project would be loss of on street parking as well as loss of parking lot spaces at the Arlee Senior Citizens Center.

Concern was also expressed about the safety of school children who have to cross Highway 93 to get to school and who will be exposed to the project once school is out.

Ed Toavs, MDT Missoula District engineer, said the highway department would meet with school administrators to coordinate the effort to provide safe crossings with a flag person at specific points along the in-town route so children would not be crossing everywhere along the route. The contract calls for amber flashing lights at highway crossing points.

Another huge concern was the annual doings related to the Fourth of July and the effect of an under construction northbound lane occurring in the present U.S. 93 footprint will have on logistics. Construction work will be shut down from July 2-7, as required by the contract.

Jim Malatare, Arlee District representative on Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council said planning access for the annual Arlee Celebration has to begin immediately.

“We will get together with the powwow committee and find out what’s doable,” Benda said, adding that dust abatement efforts would be 95 percent effective. “These kind of problems can be worked out.”

Benda said the lion’s share of the reconstruction work on the Arlee couplet should be completed by the end of August or first part of September.

“We are hopeful that we can have this done as early as the end of July but probably it will be done no later than the first of September,” Benda said, adding that the other reconstruction work such as landscaping, lighting and other amenities should be completed by Oct. 1. They will also try to chip seal the highway lanes and side streets by then, weather permitting.

“We’ve come to build the real deal on a time schedule,” Benda said. “Any problems that have been left unresolved, we have to resolve them. We are used to that and we do that.”

All the construction representatives said they appreciate the patience and understanding of the public. And although it may seem like an eternity to some the finished project would be well worth the wait.