MISSOULA — With development booming and transportation issues looming, members of the City Council on Wednesday approved funding to begin making improvements to Scott Street.
Brandt Dahlen, an engineer with the city, said the approval will advance the first phase of work planned for Scott Street from Phillips to Otis, including the railroad bridge.
Among other things, the scope of work will install a roundabout at Scott Street and Phillips and add new lighting at the intersection. Plans also include removing the bridge railing to add more clearance for a bike lane.
Roadway space would also be reallocated to accommodate the bike lanes and the bust stop would be relocated. Wednesday's approval included the addition of $166,900 to the city's contract with the WGM Group.
“We're also in the process of getting MDT commission approval of the design,” said Dahlen. “We hope to get this constructed in 2025.”
The city designed a master plan for the Scott Street area nearly a decade ago and, in recent years, a number of large residential projects have moved in.
Among them, the Scott Street Village added dozens of new homes and apartments, and the Villagio created roughly 200 new housing units.
The city also has contracted with Ravara to develop 9 acres off Scott Street, including a 3-acre land trust with roughly 75 homes. Half of those will be income-restricted. The remaining 6 acres will include several hundred market-rate apartments and some commercial amenities.
The recent and future growth has resulted in increased traffic and the city has pledged to address it. Wednesday's action is a step in that direction, council members said.
“We need to get this done. This is a tricky street,” said council member Mirtha Becerra. “There's parks and school and a lot more development in this area. This will be a great improvement.”
