4. Resolution 5651 - Resolution of Support - BypassSUBJECT Resolution of Support — US Highway 93 Alternate Route (Bypass)
and Four Mile Drive
MEETING DATE: September 3, 2013
Staff is concerned that the Montana Highway Transportation Commission is not fully committed
to nor fully understands the need for the completion of the US Highway 93 Alternate Route
(Bypass) and that the action to table the nomination of Four Mile Drive as the next urban project
in Kalispell needs to be reversed.
Background:
The State Highway Commission met on July 251" in Missoula and tabled action to approve the
extension of Four Mile Drive from Kidsports to Stillwater Road as our next urban Highway
project. In addition, there was some discussion amongst the members of the Highway
Commission that funding for the US Highway 93 Alternate Route (Bypass) in general needed to
be revisited and priorities needed to be re-evaluated.
In late 2012, MDT staff in Helena had asked Kalispell to select its next urban funded highway
project. The Kalispell urban area, as part of the state urban highways program, receives
approximately $600,000 a year for the purpose of improving roads within the Kalispell urban area
that are on the Kalispell urban system. The city had a balance of $1.2 million in our fund and
MDT was interested in starting some early design work on our next project. The last project
funded with urban funds in Kalispell was North Meridian completed in 2006 and before that we
funded improvements to Main Street as part of the US Highway 93 reconstruction of Main Street
in 1983. As you can imagine, at $600,000/yr., it takes many years to accumulate adequate funds
to undertake a project. In March, the Kalispell TAC met and unanimously recommended Four
Mile Drive from Kidsports to Stillwater Road as our next urban funded project. This project
would also involve the construction of an interchange, as Four Mile Drive is designed to travel
over the top of the proposed US Highway 93 Alternate Route.
TAC voted unanimously for this project noting that it is both a critical and a beneficial component
to our overall transportation system. It is recognized as a priority project in our Kalispell Growth
Policy and it is a recommended project in the Kalispell Area Transportation Plan 2006 Update
(MSN 8 dated April 21, 2008). Furthermore TAC acknowledged that it would be 20 — 30 years to
amass enough funding to undertake any other significant project such as Reserve Drive, Whitefish
Stage or Willow Glen. However, the Four Mile Drive project was estimated to be $3.2 million
and by the time final engineering was completed, we were expecting to have between $2.4 and
$3.0 million in the bank. TAC agreed that this road would provide a necessary outlet for
Kidsports congestion and that it would also aid in alleviating congestion on US Highway 93
North by offering a westerly access for FVCC, the hospital and the major commercial
development at the north end of town. Additionally, it is significantly cheaper to construct Four
Mile Drive now before the US Highway 93 Alternate Route is developed as there is no traffic to
divert and no lost design and construction to replace.
TAC is meeting on September 111h to formulate a response to the Highway Commission. We feel
it is important to send a message of support for both the completion of the US 93 Alternate Route
(Bypass) and nomination of Four Mile Drive as a necessary urban project. Staff is recommending
that formal resolutions be adopted by both the city council and board of county commissioners.
In addition, the chamber is undertaking a letter writing campaign and plans to take a bus to
Helena to allow people to testify directly to the Highway Commission on September 261h, It is
our goal to bring as many people as possible to the next Highway Commission meeting, set for
September 261h in Helena, to make our concerns known and voice support for these projects.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that council approve the attached Resolution of
Support for construction of the US Highway 93 Alternate Route (Bypass) and affirm the
nomination of Four Mile Drive as the next Urban Highway Project.
FISCAL EFFECTS: Passing the Resolution of Support will set in motion the support for
completion of the US Highway 93 Alternate Route which in the short term will provide a
significant economic boost in construction dollars to the community and in the long term will
provide a crucial transportation link.
ALTERNATIVES: Table the Resolution of Support and take no action.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Jentz,
Kalispell Planning Dept.
Report compiled: August 20, 2013
RESOLUTION NO. 5651
A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SUPPORT OF THE HIGHWAY 93 ALTERNATE
ROUTE (BYPASS) AS THE NUMBER ONE FEDERAL AND STATE HIGHWAY
PROJECT IN KALISPELL AREA AND FURTHER ASKING THE MONTANA
HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO ACCEPT FOUR MILE DRIVE AS
THE NEXT KALISPELL URBAN HIGHWAY PROJECT.
WHEREAS, in 1994 the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for US Highway 93 —
Somers to Whitefish West recommended the construction of the Kalispell Bypass
as part of the regional improvements to US Highway 93; and
WHEREAS, in 2010 the southern half of the Bypass was completed with Federal Stimulus
monies at a cost of $22.6 million; and
WHEREAS, all but three parcels of land on the north half of the Bypass route have been
purchased by MDT and these three parcels are set to close by the end of the year;
and
WHEREAS, all federal, state and local permitting and environmental clearances are in place
for construction while final engineering and design are complete or nearly
complete for all remaining phases; and
WHEREAS, Kalispell is the only major city in Montana not served by an Interstate Highway
which serves in other communities as a significant traffic route and safety valve
for moving traffic across their communities; and
WHEREAS, traffic and unsafe traffic congestion continues to increase in the urban Kalispell
US Highway 93 corridor creating significant negative impacts as overflow traffic
seeks routes through the city's residential streets and as summer traffic on US
Highway 93 North in the north commercial/college neighborhood approaches
40,000 vehicles a day; and
WHEREAS, a complete US Highway 93 Bypass has been the number one priority for the
Kalispell Area for 10 years and the construction of only one half of the Bypass
project fails to solve the negative traffic issues facing the City; and
WHEREAS, the Four Mile Drive and the future intersection with the US 93 Bypass should be
approved as the next Kalispell area urban highway project as it will be necessary
to ameliorate the hazardous traffic congestion experienced in that area of urban
Kalispell that is triggered by the highly successful and utilized Kidsports Athletic
Complex, the expanding Flathead Valley Community College and the vigorous
commercial center that has developed at the north end of Kalispell adjacent to US
Highway 93 North; and
WHEREAS, it is prudent and cost effective to develop the Four Mile Drive connector now
before that portion of the Bypass is constructed or in concert with such Bypass
construction so that future traffic is not disrupted and tax dollars are not wasted in
redesign or demolition work to retrofit future construction.
101T, THEREFORE, BE IT A: -SOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
KALISPELL AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City of Kalispell supports the US Highway 93 Bypass project in its
entirety as the number one federal and state funded highway project in the
Kalispell Area and encourages MDT to give it all due support and
expedite funding to bring the remaining northern portion of this project to
construction and completion.
SECTION 2. The City of Kalispell supports the March 12, 2013 recommendation of the
TAC and encourages MDT to nominate Four Mile Drive as the next urban
aid highway project in Kalispell.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND SIGNED BY THE MAYOR OF
THE CITY OF KALISPELL, THIS 3RD DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2013.
Tammi Fisher
Mayor
ATTEST:
Judi Funk
Deputy City Clerk