Hwy 287 constructionnears completion
Author: Eliza McLaughlin
Highway 287 Construction Nears Completion
Eliza McLaughlin
The Spokane Creek to Diehl Road expansion project, which has produced slow-moving traffic between Townsend and East Helena for the last six months, has entered its final stages before wrapping up for the winter, according to a Montana Department of Transportation project update. On September 19, workers wrapped up paving operations and began painting lines. Drivers should still expect reduced speeds and adhere to the 12-foot width restriction while crews complete several steps in the next few weeks on the 4-mile stretch of road, which includes seeding the roadside, installing rumble strips and putting up signs. Although work for the season is coming to a close, workers will return next summer to chip seal and add permanent stripes to the roadway, states the update. The project expands the roadway from two lanes, one in each direction, to two lanes traveling both directions, a center turn lane and 8-foot shoulders, for the entire length of the project. The design also includes an improved right turn from Spokane Creek Road onto Highway 287. “The roadway will be completely reconstructed, including grading, resurfacing, pavement marking and signage,” reads MDT’s project overview.
The overview explains that the project, which crosses from Lewis and Clark County into Jefferson County, expands the roadway to current standards, which will facilitate more traffic, but will also improve year-round safety. “The additional travel lanes, wider shoulder, and the center turn lane all provide enhanced safety benefits to this section of highway,” Kristine Fife, a representative from Big Sky Public Relations, told MT 43 News.
Next summer, Broadwater County commuters can expect a pavement preservation project on Highway 287 from the passing lanes east of the Spokane Creek Road turn-off to the Townsend Flats stock pass, in addition to the chip sealing MDT’s current project. This work will include chip sealing, signing and striping, and reinstalling rumble strips.
