Kalispell picks $1.48 million plan for busy intersection

The Kalispell City Council has chosen a $1.48 million “16th Street Offset” option for traffic improvement at the problematic intersection 18th Street and Airport Road.

The decision comes after a year of deliberation over four possibilities to address traffic circulation in this congested area.

The community development project aims to address increased traffic from the city’s rapid growth in recent years, particularly at the location where 18th Street East meets Airport Road.

The elected 16th Street Offset design will add a new street connection about 360 feet north of 18th Street, at 16th Street West. The plan proposes a two-way stop sign at the new intersection with First Avenue West with a free flow of traffic to street lighting on Airport Road at the current 18th Street intersection and the proposed 16th Street intersection. A widened path along the west side of Airport Road and an extension of the sidewalk south to Rankin Elementary School and north to 12th Street West is planned for pedestrian access.

The council estimated the project will cost around $1.48 million. The city has $2.1 million available in tax increment funding for projects in this area.

The choice of the 16th Street Offset option results from City Council discussions and Urban Renewal Agency recommendations. They whittled down the choices from four options proposed about a year ago.

Public Works Director Susie Turner said that it has taken a “dynamic process” to arrive at this decision.

According to Turner, there has been a lot of staff input from members of the Public Works Department, the Planning Department, the Community and Economic Development Department and others in order to arrive at this decision.

She said the lengthy process “ratcheted down” the options from four proposals to two, followed by an economic analysis to determine the most cost-effective of the two final proposals.

City Manager Doug Russell noted in his report to the council that this decision will help facilitate better flow of traffic and free up the City Council and Urban Renewal Agency to explore additional improvement projects that fit within the South Kalispell Tax Increment Finance District.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.