Engineers Eye Roundabout for Busy Seeley Junction

A proposed roundabout is certainly generating attention from residents who regularly travel between Missoula, Seeley Lake, and points east.

The Montana Department of Transportation has been analyzing the safety of the Clearwater Junction and sided with a roundabout as the best fix.

Other ideas had offered more traditional solutions in an effort to improve safety, especially for turning traffic where the two busy highways come together.

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MDT analyzing safety at Clearwater Junction

MDT and its consulting engineers have been analyzing Clearwater Junction for about 3-years, looking into crash data and how to make the intersection safer. In addition to the growing amount of recreational traffic to the Seeley-Swan, they say there are growing traffic volumes along Highway 200, which is the main route between Missoula and Great Falls.

In addition, there's lots of truck traffic at the weigh station, vehicles turning in and out of the convenience store, and the watercraft inspection station on the south side of the highway is the busiest in Montana.

Started with multiple solutions

While installing a roundabout meets the engineers' objectives, it wasn't the only solution considered. Other alternatives have included turn lanes, realignments, "enhanced" stopping controls, or even a signal.

But engineers believe the roundabout is the best solution, listing it as the "preferred option."

Thursday, MDT is sponsoring an open house to review the plans and discuss them with engineers. That runs from 4 to 7pm at the Seeley Lake Community Foundation building 3150 MT-83 North.

The project is currently just in the design phase. No construction date has been selected.

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