Construction on State Park Road to begin this spring
Reconstruction for the second phase of State Park Road is set to begin this spring.
The City of Whitefish is reconstructing State Park Road from Haugen Heights north to the BNSF Railway crossing. Work is expected to begin in April and be completed by the end of October.
“One of the highest priorities of this job is the enhancement to driver and pedestrian safety that will be realized though intersection improvements, roadway alignment changes, and the addition of an off-street shared use path,” Public Works Director Craig Workman said.
One of the major changes will be the elimination of the double 90-degree turns in the roadway.
City Council last week approved the design and going out for bids on the construction project.
The road width will be reduced to 28 feet from the north end of the curve to the railroad tracks.
An 8-foot concrete path will be extended to the railroad tracks along the road. A 6-foot landscaped boulevard between the curb and path will be installed, along with decorative lighting.
A new stormwater system will be installed with treatment at the outfall just before the railroad tracks.
Once completed, like the rest of the roadway, the speed limit will be reduced from 35 mph to 25 mph. The planned roadway curves will be posted for a speed of 20 mph.
Construction on the road is set to begin in mid-April to June 26. Then work resumes on July 6 to Sept. 4, then breaks before resuming again on Sept. 8 to Oct. 30.
For realignment of the road, the city plans to abandon a short section of State Park Road to the east of Patton Lane. A remnant portion of State Park Road to the north of Lake Park Lane that will be renamed to Patton Lane and become a dead end.
The city is in the midst of a two-year project to reconstruct entire roadway. Phase 1 was completed last year with reconstruction from Lion Mountain Loop Road to Haugen Heights.
The State Park Road project is being paid for with resort tax funds. The total project budget is $5.3 million for both phases.
Council also:
- Approved a conditional use permit to expand the Don K service center on Highway 93 South. The expansion includes a 4,880-square-feet addition to the southeast corner of an existing building to provide five new service bays and additional workspace. A canopy about 1,900 square feet in size will also be installed on the northeast corned of the building.
- Approved a request for a conditional use permit from Mark Fennessy to convert an existing residential structure into a guest house on Barkley Lane.
- Approved a resolution accepting fee ownership of the Whitefish Trail corridor in Haskill Basin and approving the right-of-way deed.
- Approved an ordinance amending the Architectural Review Committee membership qualifications to allow that a member of the committee to be a licensed architect or design professional who resides, is employed, or owns a business or property in the 59937 ZIP Code.