MISSOULA — Many Missoula drivers say the left turn off or onto Cregg Lane from Orange Street is a busy one.
To make that intersection safer, the City of Missoula has a traffic signal in the works. Contractor bids opened on the morning of April 25, 2025.
As the Old Sawmill District expands, congestion in the area grows. Cars sometimes sit in the turn lane many minutes waiting for their left turn opportunity.
"We will make some enhancements to turn lane lengths, that'll be necessary with the new signal. Freshen up bike signal, bike crossings, and install pedestrian facilities for crosswalks across Orange Street," City of Missoula Transportation Engineer Ryan Guelff said.
The intersection is a priority for the Montana Department of Transportation and the City of Missoula due to near misses and a motorcyclist fatality in the area in recent years.
"Construction estimate is approximately $550,000 for the traffic signal," Guelff said. "We are cost-sharing the cost of construction for this project with the developer of the mill site. It's close to a 50/50 split. City, transportation impact funds will be used to pay for the city's portion of the project costs, and then we expect to recover the remainder from development from the developer of the Sawmill District."
Stoplights will direct traffic off of Cregg and help control the flow of cars out of downtown on Orange Street.
"It's often a hard mental task to watch for pedestrians, to look for gaps in traffic. So, taking that element out of the equation is definitely beneficial to safety and access," Guelff said.
The stoplight is set to be constructed by this fall.
