We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
With the transition of winter to spring, Blaine County residents and travelers of U.S. Highway 2 are beginning to see road construction projects once again impact their travel. According to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), there are two active construction projects in the local area: one from US-2's mile marker 393 to 403 and another from mile marker 404 to 428.
In the first stretch, approximately nine miles east of Havre to Chinook, topsoil and shoulder work began on Wednesday, March 24 and will continue this week. Engineering Project Manager for MDT, Mike Moore explained that trucks will be hauling topsoil to areas of the project with most of the work minimally impacting traffic flow. Last week, three work zones were established with signal lights that caused delays from five to fifteen minutes. Pilot cars regulated traffic to accommodate truck movement through those zones, and motorists were expected to adhere to the reduced speeds of 35 mph.
In the project taking place from Chinook to the Milk River Bridge at Fort Belknap, contractors last week were working primarily between mile marker 425 east of Harlem to mile marker 428 at the Milk River Bridge, replacing culverts across US-2. During that time, motorists saw some approaches temporarily close, such as that at Ellis Road. In addition, Everett Road access from US-2 at mile marker 426.3 was closed beginning March 24 and will remain closed until work in the area is complete. Motorists experienced changing speeds and road conditions along this stretch of US 2, as well.
Detour signs and barricades will direct traffic as needed, and traffic will be controlled with signal lights and pilot cars as the project continues. Work zones are posted at 35 mph and motorists can expect reduced speed limits of 45 mph over installation areas until they are paved. Loads wider than 14' may also experience delays.
"During construction, the traveling public should expect one-lane traffic with flaggers during regular work hours and two-lanes open during nights and weekends. Some culverts may require short gravel detours, which will be marked and flagged," Moore explained.
MDT will work closely with the traveling public to ensure that wide loads, pedestrian and bicycle traffic, mail delivery, business accesses, and school bus routes are accommodated throughout construction.
"Please be mindful of workers and conditions as work progresses," Moore said. "Installation sites will be patched with traffic gravel or millings and could be less than ideal at normally posted speeds until paved later in the project."
According to the MDT, this project will repair, line, or replace over 20 deteriorating culverts. This culvert work will build a strong foundation for the complete reconstruction of the corridor planned within the next five years. Future projects will be more time and cost-efficient, as work crews will not need to engage in culvert work during construction.
The culvert repair and replacement project began on March 8 and is expected to take around three months, weather and other variables permitting. The MDT website posts the projected cost of this project at $4,077,244, or just under $200,000 per mile.
