Rounding Up Safety Ideas for the Lolo Corridor

Engineers and consultants with the Montana Department of Transportation are ready to take the wraps off their list of recommendations for safety improvements on one of the state's busiest highways, Highway 93 south of Missoula.

It was just over 2-years ago, MDT leaders decided to take another pass at updates to handle growing traffic volumes and improve safety on the Florence to Lolo Corridor. That was later expanded to include the Lolo S curves, north to Bunkhouse Bridge and the Miller Creek intersection.

Now, the project team has completed bringing all those suggestions and ideas into one comprehensive package.

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Lots of suggestions and ideas for a safer 93

Engineer Sarah Nicolai says people have offered great input over the past year, helping to develop approaches to prevent the growing number of serious accidents without traffic control measures.

"So we're looking at trying to consolidate access as if it's possible and designating some primary intersections where we can have some enhanced control," Nicholai has told me.

"And that might be anything from a traffic signal to a roundabout to what's called a reduced conflict intersection, where we're encouraging people to take a right turn and then a left at a designated turnaround location."

READ MORE: Addressing Danger on Highway 93

How can wildlife collisions be controlled along Highway 93?

One key focus point has also been reducing the number of collisions between cars and wildlife. This can lead to multiple vehicle wrecks as cars swerve out of control or into oncoming traffic.

"We've heard about deer and elk and even bear and mountain lions, so we know this is a really active corridor for wildlife," Nicholai observes. "We are looking at different treatments. We've had several meetings with resource agencies, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And we even had a field review."

That might to under, or over highway crossings, such as have been used successfully on 93 north of Missoula into the Mission Valley.

"There might be a culvert that we can enlarge to help wildlife pass, or we could look at new crossings, uh grade separated overcrossing or undercrossing to help wildlife pass over that or under the highway, and reduce those wild animal conflicts with vehicles."

See the ideas this coming week

The proposals will be discussed at two open houses next Wednesday and Thursday at Lolo School from 4 to 7 p.m.

That input will help the project team develop a final set of recommendations with one last round of review going into the spring.

Although no funding is secured for the safety changes on the corridor, MDT says having the plans developed will make it more likely to get the project paid for.