DOT to cut passing lanes on Hwy. 35

When a truck and pup carrying dry cement powder flipped into a barrow ditch along Highway 35 last week, Montana Department of Transportation Director Jim Lynch was on site to see it.

Almost exactly one year and one mile from the site of a fuel spill that forced five families from their homes in 2008, Lynch was able to see the accident site because he was in the area looking at reevaluating passing lanes along the East Shore Route.

Changing some of the current passing configurations as well as installing guardrails along the narrow two-lane highway are two of the ways Lynch said the department is trying to make the road safer for all motorists.

"We're reevaluating all the passing zones to make sure we're not encouraging people to pass when they shouldn't do so," he said.

Since the stripes were last painted on the road, the number of access points along the highway has increased and Lynch said some changes are in order.

"We're also going to look to put additional signage for pullouts and some that caution (motorists' that there's not a lot of opportunity to pass so relax and enjoy the scenery," he said.

The department is also working on the engineering for new guardrails to install along the highway, especially around the Finley Point area, Lynch said.

"We have limited right of way and the number of approaches limits what we can do," he said.

Lynch said both the guardrail and passing lane projects should be under way this summer.