STEVENSVILLE — Drivers who travel the Eastside Highway should be ready for some possible delays starting next week, as contractors begin a project to improve a dangerous section of the highway south of Stevensville.
The Stevensville Safety Improvements Project will cover a section of Highway 269 for six miles south of the town and has been in the design stage since 2019.
It's a stretch of narrow, winding road that has seen a number of serious crashes, especially with the growing traffic volumes in the Bitterroot.
The first phase of the work starts Monday with crews cutting some trees and moving utilities.
Eventually, the Montana Department of Transportation contractors will be constructing four-foot shoulders and flattening some of the roadside slopes.
Willoughby Lane will also be re-aligned, with a new flashing light installed at Bell Crossing, some new guardrails, and bridgework.
Initially, traffic will only be reduced to one lane in some areas.
