Columbia Falls Stage Rd. repair not the final fix

Flathead County road crews made temporary repairs to a sizable slump along Columbia Falls Stage Road last week, but it’s not a final fix, according to public works director Dave Prunty.

The road was closed from Fairview Crossroad to Highway 35 on April 2-3 while county crews stabilized a 12-foot deep slump

Concrete head walls were installed in the area of the slump to help drain the area, but now the concrete is “holding everything together,” Prunty said. Rebuilding the road where it is could cost about four times an initial estimate of $30,000.

“As we’ve analyzed it more, the costs have skyrocketed,” he said.

To make matters worse, stressed asphalt south of the temporary repair could turn into another slump.

“This is not a final fix,” Prunty said. “We’re going to see if we can migrate the road to the east.”

If it’s feasible, the county could rebuild up to 2,000 feet of Columbia Falls Stage Road to the east, but the county would need to purchase some right-of-way. Prunty said he hopes to meet with the landowner who owns property on both sides of the road to talk about options.