KALISPELL — A highway construction project years in the making has reached a major milestone in the Flathead.
“Safety is the goal; how do we improve safety of this challenging intersection,” said Montana Department of Transportation District (MDT) Administrator Bob Vosen
MDT announced its intent to implement a single-lane roundabout at the Batavia Lane and US Highway 2 West intersection in Kalispell back in 2021.
Vosen said they are ready to unveil the conceptual design of the roundabout to the public.
“I’m going to say it’s like 75% complete, so we want to just get that in front of the public.”
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An open house will be held at Smith Valley Public School on Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to view the design, ask questions and offer feedback.
“The decision to build the roundabout has been made, and we’re going forward, but if we need to tweak something, we’re interested in hearing that type of comment,” said Vosen.
The intersection sits adjacent to Smith Valley Public School and is deemed high-risk for severe crashes.
The current speed limit is 45 miles per hour.
“We’re doing everything we can to ensure the safety of the kids when they’re crossing from the shared use path on the south of the school, and the roundabout does make for a safer crossing and that was one of the key components.”
Vosen said the project is funded through highway safety improvement project dollars.
He hopes to break ground on the roundabout in 2027.
“We still have some time to make some tweaks and adjustments to ensure that what we are doing is the best we can make that roundabout function for that area, so we’re inviting folks to come out and take a look at these conceptual plans.”
