EVERGREEN — Work has started in Evergreen to give kids a safer way to get to school.
Right now, students walk along Highway 2 to get to class alongside 20,000 vehicles that use the road every day according to the Montana Department of Transportation, now, work is being done to change that.
“As I said, out with the cow paths in with the sidewalks. It's time,” said Gov. Greg Gianforte.
The governor joined Representative Tony Brockman and numerous members of the Evergreen community for a groundbreaking ceremony of the long-awaited sidewalk installation in Evergreen.
“It comes down to safety of our kids. And the time has come for evergreen kids to have safe routes to schools. We rallied together and we finally got it done,” said Rep. Brockman.
The installation of sidewalks in Evergreen is important. For the last 121 years, Evergreen Schools have been serving the Evergreen Community.
Kids in the district don't ride buses as the school is too small for transportation. So, students in the Evergreen School District must walk along Highway 2 East to get to school.
“To think about kids walking along the shoulder of the road and sometimes on the road itself because the shoulders are impassable, with heavy snow or mud and dirt during the different seasons, to know that they're going to have a clean, safe path that will be maintained to walk on. It's a pretty big deal, right?” said Evergreen School District Superintendent Laurie Barron.
A group of students gathered to watch the groundbreaking ceremony and represent the 650 students of the Evergreen School District.
“I had a moment because I looked over and our students were singing the Wolverine fight song to the governor,” said Barron. “And then to watch that pride of those kids knowing this is our school and it's our place and the community wants to contribute and make it a safer, better place for us. I think it's a really great example for our young people to see that when you work together, private and public partnerships, you can really accomplish something big and it was great. My favorite part of the whole day was seeing our kids be a part of this,” said Barron.
Evergreen has been working to get sidewalks around the school since 2005. In 2005 a sidewalk was put in on Evergreen Drive, then in 2021, work started to get the current project going.
A portion of this project is made possible by a House Bill brought forward by Representative Tony Brockman in the 2023 legislative session. Brockman is a second-generation Evergreen School District alumni and grew up in Evergreen.
“I am truly blessed to be an Evergreen kid representing what I honestly believe is the best district in the entire state,” said Brockman.
The first phase of the sidewalk installation is expected to be completed in August and more work will be done beginning in the spring of 2025.
Drivers can expect some delays along U.S. Highway 2 in Evergreen as construction on the sidewalks continues.
