County, MDT discuss projects

Sanders County Commissioners held a meeting with members of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) last week to discuss bridges, speed limits and road chipping. Presiding officers were Dan Rowen, District 1, Anthony Cox District 2 and John Holland, District 3. .

The Noxon Bridge was discussed when Commissioner Tony Cox brought up the issues of safety and overall age of the bridge. “The bridge was built in the 1920s and has metal cracks in places. It has been rehabilitated in the past,” Cox said. A velocity patch was put in when the Trout Creek Bridge was redone. According to Cox the bridge has been compromised by snow plows catching on the metal and bending it. The commissioners said the logistics of replacing the bridge would be challenging due to the fact that there is no other route in or out of Noxon. “It would be a nightmare to replace with the windows of construction being minimal due to traffic,” Cox said. “At least address the deck. Currently there are no weight limits on the bridge because of the economic conditions of the community. Deliveries have to be made to the hardware store.”

Bob Vosen with MDT offered the possibility of grants from MDT. “The county can afford rehabs but not a full replacement, maybe with a cost share to split the costs,” Cox said. Rusti Leivestad of Thompson Falls said with the hardships that Noxon is currently facing (following a fire in February that destroyed three businesses), maybe there would be funds available to help with bridge replacement or repairs.

Commissioner John Holland reported that there are big dips between Dixon and Perma that need attention. Vosen said they would have to survey the area to assess the cause of the dips in the road. “Our needs across the region exceed our funding source,” he added.

Leivestad asked about having speed limit signs moved to more visible locations in Thompson Falls. A speed study that was conducted in July and August did not merit moving signs 500 feet on the West end of town, according to Vosen and Justin Juelfs, also with MDT. Leivestad said one issue is with semi trucks at Town Pump blocking the 25 mile per hour signs. She also brought up the post office and the bottle neck and no turning lane. Gussie O’Conner from Gus-Z’s Barber Shop concurred that the area was a safety issue. She brought up the issue of safety in crossing the street in front of her shop. “The idea of radar signs is fantastic, to help with speeding cars.”

Karen Gustuvsen and Catherine DeWitt, members of the Thompson Falls Woman’s Club, requested the DOT help fund speed limit and radar signs in Thompson Falls. Vosen said the authority does not lie with the Department of Transportation. The proper procedure would be to contact the city and request a study to be done and offer the opportunity for public comment. There can be no actions taken by the county commission. Vosen said there are two parts to a study: the engineering side which bases their decisions on facts and the soft side which is based on emotional desires of the community. He added that the traffic counts through town have remained consistent over the past four years. He encouraged coordination between city and county to set limits, move signs and put in crosswalk options. The official request to move signs needs to go to the city. Cox agreed that radar signs would have a better effect on traffic speeds. Steve Felix with MDT said crosswalks painted on the road alone are not as effective in slowing down traffic as flashing signs.

MDT’s John Schmidt reported that the Clark Fork River bridge on the west end of Thompson Falls is slated for rehab in 2025-2026. The chip sealing issue on Main Street is still being addressed. “There are a few issues that we are working through regarding winter and plow damages. We are coming up with a plan to repair the problem,” Schmidt stated. He said there are other areas across the region that have concerns with chip sealing.