Transportation commission approves plans to accommodate Lakeside coaster

The Montana Transportation Commission approved another step necessary for a controversial alpine coaster to open near Lakeside after a meeting that saw vocal opposition from residents.

The commission approved plans for the addition of a new approach, culvert upgrades and the installation of a northbound left-turn lane at the entrance to the property, which is located on U.S. 93 just north of Lakeside. The Montana Department of Transportation made the recommendations after looking at a traffic impact study conducted by the property owners last year, which was facilitated by Abelin Traffic Services and vetted by the state.

Most of the criticism aimed at the coaster comes from concerns over traffic safety on what opponents describe as an already dangerous highway.

Despite the approval, state officials at the meeting said there are still other processes before the alpine coaster’s developers. Developers need to hire a contractor, who must secure an encroachment permit through the transportation agency’s District 1 office and supply a traffic control plan. State transportation officials must approve the plan before construction starts.

Upon completion, the turn lane will need additional approval from the Montana Department of Transportation before officials give the final highway approach permit to developers.

State transportation officials reiterated that they have a legal obligation to accommodate approach permits for property owners who live alongside Montana highways.

Property owner Jessica Wedel was present with her lawyer, Andy Adamek, who spoke to the commission on her and her husband’s behalf. He, along with project engineer Marc Liechti, were among the only people to speak in favor of the coaster and their traffic mitigation plans.

Liechti, as a resident of Lakeside with children, said he is concerned about safety but believes the state transportation agency is on board with the current plan.

“This project has gone back and forth for at least nine months with MDT staff in Helena and Kalispell, and we have hired additional engineering firms to make sure we comply with all the required standards the state has for these types of projects,” Liechti said.

Many neighbors of the coaster spoke about the potential effect that the traffic could have on safety and highway access, as well as Lakeside state Rep. Tanner Smith and Flathead County Commissioner Randy Brodehl.

Brodehl told the commission that he supported the approval, but he asked that they reconsider putting a sidewalk between the development and Lakeside. State officials have said installing a sidewalk would require a maintenance agreement with Flathead County and involve a process similar to the ongoing Evergreen sidewalk project.

Smith asked the commission to table the measure until a safety study can be done.

“I’ve personally seen two friends die on this stretch of road,” Smith said. “I don’t know if you quite understand the gravity, though we’ve all been to the Flathead, that this is one of our most dangerous stretches of road in the state, period, full-stop.”

Smith went on to list specific examples of fatalities along the corridor. He asked transportation officials to conduct the study on weekends and in the summertime when the majority of traffic occurs. Last year, Flathead County commissioners wrote a letter to the state agency asking for a speed study of the U.S. 93 corridor.

The commission heard from several other members of the public, including Lisa Munyon, who told them she already has issues getting safely on and off the highway from her property.

“Our driveway is the closest to this project to the south, so we already have a really big challenge with being able to make a right-hand turn into Lakeside,” Munyon said. “We have to make a three-point turn in our driveway to face our vehicles that way, just so we can see the oncoming traffic headed to Lakeside, headed south on highway 93.”

IMMEDIATELY PRIOR to the vote for approval, commissioners asked the engineers present if anything they had heard during the meeting made them doubt their previous assessments and recommendations. Chief Engineer Dustin Rouse replied that they will go over all submitted comments, but maintained their proposed plans are sufficient.

Commissioner Noel Sansaver entertained postponing the measure until there was more information about traffic along the corridor, but after Rouse said additional time would not be of any benefit in this situation, Sansaver supported approving the plans.

“People who can’t get out of their homes, or can’t get out of their own parking lots, my heart goes out to you. I wish there was more we could do, but it’s our obligation,” Sansaver said, referring to their directive to provide property owners with highway access.

Currently, District 1, where Lakeside is located, does not have representation on the commission. Previous seat holder Tammi Fisher’s term ended in January.

Chair Loran Fraizer commented on the vacancy, saying, “We have to get representation in District 1, it’s not fair to the rest of the commissioners to make decisions on a district that we’re not totally familiar with or that we have to deal with on a daily basis.”

Gov. Greg Gianforte appoints commissioners.

The commission agreed that making U.S. 93 safer should be a priority and pushed for a comprehensive traffic study of the corridor.

UPPER WEST Shore Alliance Director Janie Lewer said the group is disappointed with the commission’s decision.

“It’s disheartening for nearby residents in over 200 homes,” Lewer said in an email. “The Upper West Shore Alliance hopes that the community involvement in today’s meeting demonstrates the need for transparency and involvement with the Lakeside residents.”

She said they are looking forward to Montana Department of Transportation staff committing to addressing the concerns shared at the meeting. The group also appreciated Smith and Brodehl speaking out about the issue.

The date of the grand opening of the alpine coaster remains undetermined. It was posted online that the attraction would open on May 25, but Wedel told commissioners that was a mistake on their web developer’s part.

“When we’ve finished everything with MDT and we have our final permits, that’s when the park will open,” Wedel said. “Our developer made a mistake on our website and left the times up starting on May 25. Unfortunately, if I was doing a grand opening I would have advertised it a lot better.”

She said in an email to the Daily Inter Lake that they are excited about the approval of the left turn lane.

There is no date set for when construction will start on the turn late and their approach.

But Wedel said they are optimistic and shooting for a grand opening towards the end of May. They are currently hiring employees in the hopes of opening as soon as they have “all the required permits in hand.”