Hwy. 200 project ahead of schedule

Construction is ahead of schedule on the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) project east of Thompson Falls, with completion scheduled for mid-August. That was the message from MDT and contractor LHC, Inc., at a public open house Wednesday in Thompson Falls.

"It's going really well. LHC is doing a great job," said John Schmidt with MDT. Representatives from LHC and MDT spoke with the public about the project and answered questions at the open house. One of the questions they keep getting is when the company will blast rocks. Schmidt and LHC Project Superintendent Melvin Nahrgang both reiterated that blasting is not being considered at this time, and that LHC is doing everything they can to avoid that. Nahrgang said that people have commented about crew members they see scaling the rocks in the construction area. He noted that the crew is working to drill holes in the rock for a raw continuation fence. He said the rock removal for the project is complete.

LHC is working to install bridge pilings this week for the wildlife underpass. The 30-foot wide and 14-foot high underpass bridge will help reduce vehicle-animal collisions and allow wildlife to cross safely beneath the roadway. Nahrgang said the bridge is pre-cast, which saves up to two months in the construction schedule. Paving on the 27-mile stretch of Highway 200 is set to begin after the Fourth of July holiday.

Along with the wildlife underpass and fencing along the length of the project, LHC will place two electric wildlife deterrent mats, one at each end of the construction. This will help deter animals from entering the area by delivering a mild but harmless electric shock. If an animal does happen to get into the fenced area, several "jump-throughs" have been installed along the construction area to allow wildlife to easily escape.

Nahrgang said that work on the project will continue 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. LHC is not working on the weekends, and with holidays including Memorial Day and the Fourth of July coming up, the crews will adjust their schedule due to the increased traffic. For example, for the Memorial Day weekend they will wrap up by 5 p.m. on Friday and not work on the Monday holiday. Nahrgang said people have been patient with crews in dealing with the construction delays, but he reminded drivers to be mindful of crews working, slow down and avoid distractions such as cellphones.

"We really appreciate the public being patient and working with us to keep everyone safe," Nahrgang said. He noted that the crews have also been working with the school bus that goes through each day to make sure the driver can get through construction. He said land owners in the area have been great to work with as well.

Brandon Coates with consulting firm RBCI said that this Highway 200 project is a continuation of the Thompson River bridge replacement. He noted that when the bridge was replaced, the funding was not available to continue the project east with the wildlife fencing and road widening. The work this year completes that project.

As of this spring, 436 bighorn sheep have been killed in collisions on Highway 200, according to MDT. The numbers are displayed on reader boards at each end of the construction and have been for several years.

Each year, the Montana Department of Transportation develops a plan for transportation projects with the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The publication can be viewed at mdt.mt.gov and the public can comment on projects.

STIP shows a five-year plan for projects. While the dates are not official, it helps portray how MDT plans to obligate future funds to projects. For example, a review of the STIP website shows that the east end of Eddy Flats, including the Bad Rock area, is set for reconstruction in 2021. The website states that factors such as funding availability, right-of-way acquisition, environmental review, survey and design can delay a project. The public can also comment on projects through the website. For more information, go to mdt.mt.gov and click on "STIP" under "Plans & Studies."