Clearwater Junction project discussed

POTOMAC – At their Aug. 3 meeting, the Greenough-Potomac Fire Board invited representatives with Robert Peccia & Association Engineering Firm and Montana Department of Transportation to discuss the reconfiguration of Clearwater Junction, at the intersection of Highway 200 and Highway 83. Board Chair Scott Gordon explained that the intersection falls in their jurisdiction and they wanted to continue the conversation about what the changes may look like and how that will affect their response.

Jacquelyn Smith, preconstruction engineer for Montana Department of Transportation and Project Manager April Gerth with Robert Peccia & Association Engineering Firm, consultants to MDT, shared information and answered questions for the board.

Between 2003 and 2019, Montana Highway Patrol reported 35 crashes at this intersection. Of these crashes, 22 were minor fender benders, 12 resulted in injuries and 1 resulted in a fatality. Looking at the crash statistics, Gerth pointed out a lot resulted from left turns and rear ends on Highway 83.

“Those are pretty hard to fix without something, I hate to say it, without something like a roundabout,” Gerth said.

Smith said the fatality instigated a review by the safety program.

“If our safety program sees that there is an addressable crash trend, then they will set aside funds to help contract a project but the key thing is there has to be a crash trend that they can address,” Smith said explaining that safety funds cannot be used for projects where there is not a consistent trend.

Gerth added that MDT uses a lot of analysis and statistics with an extensive cluster and incident identification system that helps them identify problem areas. While a fatality is not required to trigger a review of an area, when there are a lot of crashes and injuries, an area will rise to rise to the top of the list.

Gerth said the secondary issue is congestion and function. Traffic at the intersection has grown 2.11% per year over the last five years. By 2045, summer months could yield as many as 12,000 vehicles every day. To add to an already busy intersection there is the added traffic for the boat check station, weigh station and prior to closure the FWP RV Dump.

“It is kind of nice that we have the opportunity to fix it with the safety funds because we probably wouldn’t have enough money to fix it if it was just a congestion issue,” Gerth said.

Gerth pointed out another issue is truck drivers parking at the weigh station and crossing the four-lane highway to access the store.

Currently they are still in the date gathering process. Gerth said the intent is to put all the information they gathered into another data-driven software program that allows them to objectively evaluate intersection alternatives. It will go through statistics and crash trends to help them decide what alternative to pursue. Then they will evaluate that, based on what they are hearing from people to find out if it will be an effective intersection treatment. They hope to present these options by early 2022.

“We are looking at everything we can possibly think of all the way up to a roundabout,”

Gerth said, adding they are required by federal law to consider a roundabout at every intersection where there is a crash trend. “We are very early on and are just coming up with the alternatives.”

Smith said the only option that is not possible is changing the speed limit. She explained the Transportation Commission sets the speed limits and it is out of MDT’s jurisdiction. If a speed limit change was desired, Missoula County would need to request a speed study through MDT and then the county would make a recommendation and go before the Commission.

Gerth added if a roundabout is put in, the speed will change through the roundabout.

Greenough/Potomac Fire Chief Ryan Hall said the intersection is an issue, especially during the summer.

“That intersection is dangerous, something needs to be done,” Hall said. “I hate roundabouts but that speed limit needs to come down.”

Hall would like to see the speed dropped to 45-50 miles per hour within a mile of the intersection in all three directions. In the winter, he feels the congestion issue is the trucks unnecessarily crossing three lanes of traffic to go in and out of the weigh station.

Since the Aquatic Invasive Species boat check station is the busiest in the state, he suggested removing it from the Junction and putting it in Bonner, another towards Ovando/Helmville/Lincoln area and north on Highway 83.

“They are missing a lot of boat traffic by not capturing Johnsrud, the Helmville/Ovando areas and the Summit to Seeley Lake on Highway 83.

Hall would also like to see the Clearwater Weigh Station operate like the Four-Corners weigh station by Belgrade, Montana. It should be one direction at a time for a set time period and then randomly switch it so that truck drivers can’t guess the schedule.

“Why are we unnecessarily making long, slow trucks cross a two-lane highway?” Hall said.

Hall also suggested an off ramp on Highway 83 southbound turning right on to Highway 200 that is a quarter mile north on Highway 83. Another suggestion was a bypass on Highway 200 westbound heading north on Highway 83. This would divert traffic behind the Clearwater Stop N Go, avoiding the main intersection and provide an access point to the gas station.

Since there are four access points to the gas station, Hall recommended closing the two access points to the gas station closest to Highway 83.

“That would give folks more time to react to someone blowing that intersection,” Hall said.

Trustee Jennifer Iverson pointed out that while MDT appears to be focusing on the crash statistics, there are a number of medical and other emergency calls that bring emergency vehicles to the Junction. If there is an accident, regardless of the severity because often it is unknown by the caller, Potomac is rolling one to three apparatus, Missoula Emergency Services, Inc ambulance is coming as well the ambulance and possibly engines from Seeley Lake and Life Flight air ambulance.

“We need to make sure that, due to the severity of what we are being called to, we can handle that additional influx of EMS vehicles and air traffic,” Iverson said. “That changes that flux and flow of what you are seeing for EMS traffic. It just adds to amount of traffic and amount of distractions and what is going on. It is not a crash so it is not going to show up in your reports.”

Gordon expressed his concern about installing a roundabout after watching the phasing out of the traffic circles in his hometown in New Jersey. He said whatever the solution is, “if it increases the number of accidents, the amount of stress that would put on the department to be able to respond to that as a volunteer unit would be difficult.”

Gerth said roundabouts “they are a totally different animal” than the old traffic circles. Roundabouts are highly channeled. However, at least initially, she does think there will be more crashes.

“The difference is going to be that you are aren’t going to be picking up bodies, you are going to be calling for a tow truck to take care of a fender bender,” Gerth said. “They flat out 100% reduce fatalities like you wouldn’t believe.”

“We can’t differentiate from a caller that didn’t walk up to the rig if that is an ALS call or just a scratch on a bumper. We always error on the side of go big first because we are so far from Missoula,” Hall said. “More crashes, lower speed or higher speed, is more calls for us.”

Gerth said what the problem ultimately boils down to is there are all these intersections that are way too fast.

“If we put a speed limit sign out there, if we don’t put a cop out there it doesn’t make a difference,” Gerth said. “We need to physically slow people down. It doesn’t have to be a roundabout. Adding extra lanes or curbing, it slows people down too but with all those ideas we can’t get rid of that left turn crash.”

Hall was concerned about heavy trucks, trailer and pups with a roundabout.

Gerth explained that through the evolution of roundabouts, they have designed them for a standard semi trailer with a 52-foot box trailer to go 15 miles an hour through it. While the roundabout stays the same size, for large trucks, they add things like concrete and reduced curb where they lower the curbing and make it a roll curb to allow tires to roll up without load shifting or sloshing.

“We are evolving. We learn from everyone’s mistakes,” Gerth said. “I’ve watched the wind blades go through the roundabouts and they hardly turn.”

Gerth said the big thing with roundabouts is the level of education for drivers. The signs are also removable, allowing the largest vehicles to go through. Also if there is emergency traffic trying to over take vehicles, they should go through the roundabout and then pull over.

Gerth reiterated that even though she provided a lot of information about roundabouts, no decision has been made. The ultimate goal and hope is, whatever the solution, it will reduce the number of responses.

The study is expected to wrap up in early 2022. Once the solution or solutions are identified they will be presented to the public. Gerth said while they will ask for public comment, it is not put out to a vote and they will make the final decision. They hope to present this information to the public by the end of September, 2022.

For more information about the project visit https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/clearwater/default.shtml. Public input is still being accepted. Please contact Kristine Fife, Big Sky Public Relations account executive, at 406-475-5651 or kristine@bigskypublicrelations.com

In the Chief’s report:

• 934 is being staffed with two firefighters for severity to assist DNRC during this hot and dry summer. While staffing, they have completed a lot of various projects at the station including cleaning, organizing, sorting and updating equipment. He has declined other requests to send engines out of state because he feels “they need to stay closer to home.”

• Two engines and one tender along with six firefighters responded to the structure fire on Juniper Drive in Seeley Lake July 22. 934 was the second engine to arrive ahead of the structure fire engine and tender. To back fill, Hall requested Missoula Rural to staff the station in Potomac to ensure the community was covered should there be another call. Hall appreciated their support as well as the community support from Seeley Lake.

He said he had never seen a brigade of people, standing in a straight line all with garden hoses trying to protect their neighbors’ yards, their yard, vehicles, fences, propane tanks.

“Even though they were garden hoses, that water curtain bought some time,” Hall said. “Again, I can’t believe no one was injured.”

“Greenough Potomac did really well. All firefighters did well for that matter,” Hall said.

• Hall said that they are short on gear but there are non-active members with gear at home. He suggested they may need to revisit the attendance policy. The board agreed this could be discussed at a future meeting.

• They are putting their 1991 Chevrolet, 3500 Type 6 Engine out for sealed bid. Minimum bid is $3,500. The viewing will be Aug. 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Potomac Station #3 (30039 Potomac Road). Sealed bids are due Sept. 7 by 7:30 p.m.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Station #3 in Potomac.