Between October of last year and May this year, six people died in five separate car crashes on U.S. Highway 93 South between Missoula and Florence.
The families — of an 18-year-old man, a 15-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, a 40-year-old woman, a 66-year-old man and an 81-year-old man — were undoubtedly devastated. Other drivers were severely injured. And there have been many, many more fatal crashes on that stretch over the decades.
Speed was listed as a factor in four of the fatalities, along with other factors.
And because the corridor sees between 15,000 and 20,000 cars every single day and rising, accidents are becoming an inevitability.
Cars fly by on a stretch of U.S. Highway 93 between Lolo and Florence on Tuesday, June 25.
That’s why the Montana Department of Transportation is investigating and planning for ways to improve the route, enhance safety, support growth in the area and provide an improved travel experience for drivers. Improvements have been planned since 2008, but nothing major will happen for many years due to high costs. Still, changes are on the horizon.
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“So the primary goal, the thing that we’re trying to address, is safety,” explained Sarah Nicolai with RPA, a civil engineering firm in Montana. “There are a lot of crashes, a lot of severe and fatal crashes. That happens because there’s conflicts between vehicles, there’s conflicts with wildlife, a lot of different reasons people are getting into crashes and we want to address that.”
The Department has several different concepts they’re looking at.
“Concept 1 is a suburban design, with the goal of trying to slow people down, encourage drivers to drive more slowly,” Nicolai explained. “And that would feel like a more suburban area. Curb and gutter, landscaping, sidewalks, lighting. It would only make sense in certain areas. We would only do that for the urban/rural transition outside of Missoula, and then in the Lolo area and then also in Florence, so in those developed areas.”
In the rural areas of the stretch, they’re looking at reducing conflict with design.
“So that could mean ‘right in/right out’ and designated left turn-around locations,” she said. “So we’re trying to minimize those conflicts as people are taking a turn across lanes.”
They are also looking at consolidating multiple driveways from homes that would funnel into a primary intersection.
There could be stoplights added in some spots.
One concept that has been taken off the table is adding a third lane to both directions of traffic.
“So we felt at this stage that it would be too costly and too impactful,” she said. “So it would really blow out that footprint. If you think about how developed this area is getting, and also the sensitive resources we’ve got like wetlands and wildlife habitat, it just didn’t feel like the right solution.”
The area was studied previously in 2008 to consider the expanded capacity of the roadway and options for multiple modes of transportation like bikes, cars and pedestrians along with improved pedestrian crossings and more.
“At the time, it was determined that an extensive construction project would need to occur, limiting major roadway access and causing delays on this busy thoroughfare,” the Montana Department of Transportation said in a press release. “Due to project costs and incurred traffic disruption, this 2008 study was tabled until future funding or additional resources could be secured.”
Now, the Department and RPA are back to research a solution that incorporates public feedback.
“Construction would not occur for many years due to the extensive design process and large construction cost,” the Department explained. “Drivers and residents may notice crew members on the side of the roadway setting up minor equipment, taking photos, and observing the area as the study begins. No direct impacts to traffic will take place as the investigation is completed.”
For more information on the project, visit online at mdt.mt.gov.
Between July and October of this year, the Department will undertake a road resurfacing project between Lolo and Missoula. Construction will take place at night but there will only be one lane of traffic in either direction at all times and speeds will be reduced in the work zone.
“Riverside Contracting and Knife River will start at the north end of the project area near Missoula and work their way south,” said MDT Missoula District administrator Bob Vosen. “Safety enhancements to the U.S. 93 corridor are a high priority for MDT. We have several projects in motion along the highway including both active construction and more extensive studies.”
David Erickson is the business reporter for the Missoulian.
