KALISPELL — The main work on the new Kalispell Bypass Foys Lake Road Interchange is now finished after years of planning and design.
This year crews replaced the original roundabout with a full interchange consisting of an overpass and ramps connected to two teardrop-shaped roundabouts.
“Try to make it fit in with the landscape and the other design elements on the bypass,” Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Construction Engineer John Schmidt told MTN News.
Schmidt said the new interchange will increase traffic flow and safety for drivers in the Flathead.
“We wanted to try and reduce that congestion that we were seeing at the Foys Lake roundabout and really having this overpass to carry the regional traffic past Foys Lake Road really provides that,” added Schmidt.
Schmidt said the interchange is built to handle the growing population in the Flathead for at least the next 20 years, "we fully anticipate that this will meet those goals."
Am total of $12.7 million in federal BUILD grant funds awarded to the City of Kalispell helped finance the project.
Schmidt thanks the Flathead community for being patient during traffic delays when construction was in full swing.
“We realize there were some pains through construction, but everybody did a great job and we’re on the other side of it here now,” said Schmidt.
