Phase two of State Park Road construction approved

Whitefish City Council last week approved the contract for the second phase of construction on State Park Road.

The city 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.

Council approved a bid from LHC, Inc. for $2.74 million for the phase of work. The engineer estimate for the phase put the cost at $2.78 million.

The project is being paid for by resort tax funds. The city last year completed the first phase of construction on the south end of the road. The combined cost for both phases comes out at $5.4 million.

One of the major pieces of the project is the elimination of the double 90-degree turns in the roadway.

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.

Phase 1 was completed last year with reconstruction from Lion Mountain Loop Road to Haugen Heights.