SEELEY LAKE – Prep work on the Salmon Lake Highway Reconstruction project is set to begin this month. Crews will begin the process of tree removal for the project which is slated to begin construction in the spring 2023.
The Montana Department of Transportation held in person and virtual meetings last week to update the public on the completed design phase and encourage participants to sign up for weekly construction updates. To sign up for weekly updates email: SalmonLakeHWY83@hdrinc.com or call Lisa Gray 406-208-0551 or contact Matt Straub mstraub@mt.gov.
At the open house, information was provided regarding what to expect during construction including delays, one lane traffic at times with pilot cars, width restrictions to 11 feet and speed limit reduction to 25 and 35 miles per hour in areas. Travelers will still be able to access Salmon Lake and campgrounds. Construction hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The plan is to have minimal impact on the community, said Lisa Gray, HDR Public Involvement Lead.
Construction is scheduled to begin with removal of trees and other vegetation this fall. The main construction will take place in 2023 to be completed in the spring of 2024. MDT worked with HDR design consultant and contractor Kiewit Infrastructure Company to develop a construction staging plan that preserves access and promotes mobility for resident and traveling public.
Currently Highway 83 around Salmon Lake is a two-lane highway with 12-foot travel lanes and minimal shoulders.
The proposed roadway generally follows the old road, and the roadway curves will be improved to meet current design standards. While the travel lanes will remain 12 foot, three- to four-foot shoulders will be added on both sides and will accommodate bicycles.
In the proposal, the intersection of Woodworth Road and Highway 83 will be realigned creating a more perpendicular intersection with improved sight distance. Private approaches and driveways will also be redesigned with input from the landowner. This will improve sight distance in both directions and clear vegetation obstructions within the roadway right-of-way.
The current plan maintains the existing pullouts. They will be paved and 24-feet wide.
The slope of the ditches adjacent to the roadside will be flattened where possible to improve roadside safety. The size of the ditches will also be increased to better handle snow storage, drainage and rockfall.
In addition to improving the ditches, the current design includes concrete barrier rails at all three large cut slopes within the project limits. A 10-foot ditch will be provided behind the concrete barrier to allow for rockfall storage and improved maintenance to clear debris from the area.
Retaining walls will be built to widen the road along the lakeside. These will be visible from Salmon Lake.
Additional project details include sizing a culvert to provide fish passage and removing vegetation near the roadway.
The estimated cost of the project is $24 million. Montana’s roads and bridges are mainly funded through a combination of federal (88.5%) and state/local (11.5%) funding sources. MDT receives no funding from Montana’s general fund revenue. Federal road and bridge revenues are generated from highway users through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and apportioned to states through federal highway legislation.
To follow learn more about the project visit mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/salmonlake.
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