MDT announce start for construction around Salmon Lake

The Montana Department of Transportation hosted an open house for public comment and questions about the upcoming Highway 83 construction at Salmon Lake.

Engineers for MDT and Kiewit were present to explain what work is planned for the two-lane route that snakes along the hill ridge next to the lake. The proposed work is only a small part of a large plan to renovate major roads in the area, and because of a prolonged winter it's already facing probable delays.

"We hope to get in there [at the] beginning of April," said Matt Straub, MDT's Engineering Project Manager. "Currently, with the amount of snow that's out there, it's going to be a slower start than we would like."

The persistent snowpack in the valley is making for some shallow flooding and deep mud this early in the spring, but while that makes things harder for the start of road work season, it also exacerbates its need. As the hill erodes, it lets loose more rocks.

"As our snow melt comes, I'm sure we're gonna get more and more," said Straub. "You know, it's an ongoing problem and this project is to mitigate that as much as possible."

Montana Highway 83 runs from Clearwater Junction to Bigfork and is a busy roadway in the summer months as thousands of people make their way to Glacier National Park. It also serves as the main commuter road for anyone coming to the Seeley-Swan area from the south and connects these communities to Missoula year-round.

The road is currently lined with ditches and one very close turn has a concrete and chain-link barrier to block rocks from the road. Under assault from loose rock and out-of-control vehicles in the winter have done some damage and both the chain-link fencing and concrete have seen better days.

"It's a combination, but I think the majority of that damage is rock," Straub said.

The MDT aims to expand the roadway to include four-foot shoulders on each side and use the increased width to manage the curves into something straighter. The project also aims to improve drainage and make rock removal much simpler.

"We're moving those walls out farther away from the base of the slope in the catchment area," Straub said. "That'll also allow folks to get back in there with equipment to clean those areas out. That'll reduce our maintenance costs in the long run and improve safety for everybody that's driving."

Despite the wet terrain, MDT is hopeful about an April start date and a smooth flow through the summer months.

"We plan on having the majority of the construction completed this summer with some chip sealing and some striping ensue next summer," Straub said. "That's what our plan is, you know, we're gonna stick to it."

Even if the project is able to be completed without any major issues, the residents of the area will be looking at some inconvenient travel, but Straub said they're cognizant of the issue and want to keep things moving as easily as possible.

"We'll always have traffic flow," Straub said. "During non-working hours, we'll be able to open up one or two lanes in both directions. But, during working hours, we're going to be looking at traffic signals and pilot cars bringing the queue through as efficiently as possible."

But that efficiency is going to be tested by multiple obstacles for a time this summer. Bonner is already beginning some maintenance and has a few more projects planned for the season, and the Salmon Lake work will more than likely coincide with projects near Swan Lake. Road work will be inescapable for the next few months.

"The best option is for people to sign up for email and text alerts," said Bob Vosen, District Administrator for MDT.

Commuters can signup for updates by downloading the MDT app or by visiting 511mt.net