By Josh Margolis
CHINOOK, Mont. (NMB) – Major progress has been made this summer and fall on the US Highway 2 road construction project between Havre and Chinook.
Ella Currier is a Montana Associate for Solutions 360 and the Public Involvement Coordinator on the project. She says crews are currently making sure the 10.4 mile stretch of road meets Montana Department of Transportation standards while also adding new passing and turning lanes.
“Almost three-quarters of the project is paved with a new surface. There is still a little bit of gravel folks should expect to see and slow down for. Two of the four bridges have been completely replaced and are new and traffic is traveling on the new structures.”
By the beginning of winter shutdown, the contractors and MDT are anticipating to have the entire driving surface paved as well as approaches and will have traffic running on all four new bridges.
“Basically that means most of the work will be done by the end of this construction season. With a small amount of miscellaneous topsoil replacement, seeding, cutting rumble strips, putting paint on the final pavement. Things like that that are going to remain for when construction season starts up next spring.”
Currier says the community will see major benefits once the new road is complete.
“It will be significantly better. I think everyone likes driving on brand new asphalt. And it’ll also have wider shoulders to accomodate mail deliveries, school buses, things like that. And it will also have some passing lanes and turn lanes where there weren’t any before, which will improve the flow of traffic so folks don’t have to slow down when someone is turning into their driveway or folks turning onto the approaches along US 2. Overall, that stretch of road was just in bad shape, and improving it is just going to make it better all around.”
The $28.9 million project is scheduled to be completed next spring. The project began in November 2019.
