Some Great Falls residents may see a bit of a delay in their morning commute as the Montana Department of Transportation begins a concrete rehabilitation project this month along 6th Street NW and 6th Street SW this month. Drivers should plan for delays and allow extra time when driving through the work zones, which will last until this fall.
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MDT said in a news release that the project will:
- Repair deteriorating concrete pavement from Fox Farm Road between Alder Drive and 10th Avenue South, on 6th Street SW between American Avenue and Central Avenue West, and on 6th Street NW from Central Avenue West to the NW Bypass.
- Replace concrete pavement on 6th Street SW between 10th Avenue South and American Avenue
- Upgrade sidewalks to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and improve curb, gutters, medians, and storm drainage throughout the project area.
Improvements to curbs, gutters, and medians will enhance drainage and help maintain the integrity of the road surface. As needed, sidewalks will be upgraded to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Additionally, this project will include a small amount of storm drain work.
As part of the project, a gas main will be replaced along 6th Street SW while the road is under construction.
Repairs are scheduled to begin on April 21st. The surface repairs along 6th Street NW are expected to last until September, with concrete replacement along 6th Street SW set to be completed in October.
The MDT says there are no plans to close roads, but will shift traffic from one side to the other. Drivers should expect lane reductions, slower speeds, and temporary detours during construction.
Engineering Project Manager for the Montana Department of Transportation Matt Widhalm explains, “The riding surface is the main intent of the project. It’s fairly old and it's starting to show its age with major cracking and just a rough driving experience. So, the goal is to improve that driving experience.”
Access to homes and businesses will be maintained, but some properties may experience temporary access adjustments.
Widhalm noted, “We will be maintaining access to the businesses, which will be achievable in the phasing of the construction. It might just look like turning out of a detour into one of their approaches, the goal is to leave at least one of their approaches open at all times.”
Stillwater Hospice is one of the many businesses located along the work zone on 6th Street NW.
Stacey Luetzen, director of the organization, says the road “is in need of some repairs. We’re going to have to allow extra time and probably have some alternative routes planned to get to the office. Our business probably won't be affected that much by it because we don't have a lot of people coming and going into our business. However, there are some businesses in this building, Go Figure and We Care Healthcare that are probably going to be more affected by it than we will be because they do have clientele that come and go throughout the day.”
The project will also upgrade sidewalks to meet Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and improve curb, gutters, medians, and storm drainage.
The Montana Department of Transportation asks people to pay attention to traffic control in order to keep other drivers and workers safe, and that they will be working to minimize the impact to the public as much as possible.
