HPP Funding Requests

As Montana’s Congressman, I recently joined my Republican colleagues in the House in declaring a moratorium on all Fiscal Year 2011 “congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits and limited tariff benefits.”  This moratorium comes in the wake of a year that saw record spending, record deficits and record expansions of government.

As a result, I will be unable to submit any requests to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this year, including High Priority Project (HPP) requests in the surface transportation authorization bill and Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) requests.  It’s important to note that this one-year moratorium only affects earmarks in the House; the Senate has not adopted a similar ban.
 
Earmarks have become the symbol for all the abuse and waste in Washington.  While every aspect of my own earmark process has been open and transparent at unprecedented levels, many of my colleagues weren’t as open.  Although the moratorium won’t balance the budget by itself, it’s an important first step toward bringing true fiscal reform to Washington.

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Consistent with the requirements of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, this document contains all requests made in a timely and documented manner to Congressman Denny Rehberg for High Priority Projects in the Surface Transportation Authorization bill. These requests and descriptions were submitted to the office of Congressman Rehberg and are presented primarily as they were submitted. No certification is made as to the accuracy of the project descriptions submitted to Congressman Rehberg's office and no responsibility is assumed for grammatical or spelling errors contained in a submission. 

Montana Department of Transportation
US 93 Corridor Projects – not including Kalispell Bypass or those funded by bonding
$123,000,000

These funds will complete projects along the US 93 Corridor in Montana, between Idaho and the international border with Canada. US 93 carries a significant amount of intrastate, interstate, and international travel. It is the highest volume, non-Interstate highway in Montana. In addition, the proposed projects will serve many of the most rapidly growing counties in the state.

The requested funding will be used to complete projects along the US 93 Corridor in Montana, between Idaho and the international border with Canada. The environmental documents for these project are complete. All projects are eligible for these funds and can be obligated in full. US 93 carries a significant amount of intrastate, interstate, and international travel. It is the highest volume, non-Interstate highway in Montana. In addition, the proposed projects will serve many of the most rapidly growing counties in the state.

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Montana Department of Transportation
Kalispell Bypass, US 93
$123,000,000

When the bypass are complete the bypass will connect with US 93 at milepost 108.8 south of Kalispell, travel west around the city center, and reconnect with US 93 at milepost 116.6 north of Kalispell.

This project will complete the Kalispell Bypass. US 93 carries a significant amount of intrastate, interstate, and international travel. It is the highest volume, non-Interstate highway in Montana. In addition, the proposed bypass project will serve one of the most rapidly growing counties in the state. MDT, the City of Kalispell and Flathead County have worked cooperatively to advance the Kalispell Bypass. When all project segments for the entire Kalispell Bypass are completed they will connect with US 93 at milepost 108.8 south of Kalispell, travel west around the city center, and reconnect with US 93 at milepost 116.6 north of Kalispell.

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National Parks Conservation Association
Going to the Sun Road
$100,000,000

Glacier National Park, in partnership with the Western Lands Division of the FHWA, is currently rehabilitating the 50-mile (80-kilometer) Going-to-the-Sun Road, a National Historic Landmark. Road rehabilitation ongoing and is needed to correct structural deficiencies in the deteriorating roadway, improve safety, preserve historic and cultural resources, provide a safe and pleasant driving experience, and to upgrade visitor use facilities adjacent to the Road such as parking and pullouts, and roadside trails.

Going to the Sun Road is a Montana landmark that is also an essential driver of Montana’s economy. Over 1.6 million visitors travel this road annually and many list at their primary reason for traveling to Montana and visiting Glacier National Park. This request is for high priority funding to complete GTSR reconstruction in the next highway bill’s duration. The reauthorization of the next six-year highway bill provides the necessary window of opportunity to complete GTSR reconstruction in a manner compliant with the Record of Decision. Funding, whether through the earmark process or systemic program funding, should be at a level to reach substantial completion before the new highway bill expires. Total project funding over the six year period covered in the next highway to complete this project is currently estimated to $100 million. Federal Lands Improvement Program currently provides some annual funding towards the project. This request to fund the balance of this project, or $100 million.

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Montana Department of Transportation
US 2 Culbertson to North Dakota State Line, Culbertson
$87,000,000

This project has been identified as an improvement segment in MDT’s Transportation Regional Economic Development (TRED)Study on the US 2/MT 16 Corridor. US 2 from Culbertson to the North Dakota state line has crash and severity rates that exceed statewide averages. Additionally, the corridor is approaching its design year and the existing two-lane configuration will approach Level of Service “C” conditions. Improving this facility to a four-lane configuration would maintain a higher Level of Service for a longer period, improve the corridor safety, and support economic growth in communities along US 2.

US 2 from Culbertson to the North Dakota state line has crash and severity rates that exceed statewide averages. Additionally, the corridor is approaching its design year and the existing two-lane configuration will approach Level of Service “C” conditions. Improving to a four-lane configuration would maintain a higher Level of Service for a longer period, improve the corridor safety, and support economic growth in communities along US 2.

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Montana Department of Transportation
I-15 Helena Custer Avenue Interchange & Montana Rail Link Overpass Structures
$73,000,000

The Custer Avenue Interchange is a recommended improvement in the Helena I-15 Corridor Environmental Impact Statement. The interchange will serve a rapidly growing commercial area of Helena. The interchange will address significant traffic congestion in this region, enhance emergency response to residential areas and relieve pressure on non-arterial links in the city’s transportation network. Local officials from Lewis and Clark County and the City of Helena are strongly in support of this project. New, wider structures for the MRL Overpass are required to meet the Record of Decision for the corridor and replacement of these structures is a critical element in the planned corridor improvements to maintain the integrity traffic flow and the function of the Interstate.

This project will complete the development and construction of the Custer Avenue Interchange and the MRL Overpass Structures on the Interstate 15 Corridor in Helena. The interchange will serve a rapidly growing commercial area, enhance emergency response to residential areas, and relieve pressure on non-arterial links in the city’s transportation network. Replacement of the structures is necessary due to their age and seismic vulnerability.

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Yellowstone County
Huntley Project Townsite Roads
$57,000,000

Survey and reestablish road rights of way and construct or reconstruct roads in Huntley Project Townsites. These road rights of way are under the ownership and jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Reclamation. The original roads were constructed many years ago and are deteriorating. There are encroachments on some of the road rights of way Yellowstone County currently does not have jurisdiction over these roads. As more development occurs the need for correction continues to become more necessary Once these roads are surveyed constructed or reconstructed Yellowstone County would consider accepting ownership and maintenance of the roads. With this project any
needed and necessary corrected plats or certificates of survey would be filed with the Yellowstone County Clerk and Recorder. The roads would be built to current standards This would improve safety and provide correct legal and physical access to parcels in the townsites.

Background: In 1907 the United States Bureau of Reclamation created the Huntley Ballantine Pompeys Pillar Worden and Osborn townsites within Yellowstone County Montana. The Bureau created the townsites with the intent that local governments would be formed to manage the Townsites. Once the local governments were formed the Bureau would transfer control of the roads to the local governments. No local governments were ever formed and the Bureau never transferred control of the roads to any local governments.

Over the years Yellowstone County forgot that the Bureau controlled the roads. The County began to abandon some of the roads within the townsites upon receipt of petitions of request.

In 1999 the Bureau filed notices with Yellowstone County that indicated that the Bureau still controls the roads within the townsites The Bureau and County met on several occasions to discuss the roads The County was and is still willing to accept control over the roads if the Bureau has the roads surveyed and reconstructed to the County current road standards At that time the Bureau did not seem interested in the transfer because of the cost to survey and to reconstruct the roads. With the availability of economic stimulus money Yellowstone County thought the Bureau might now be willing to support a project to survey and reconstruct the roads and transfer them to Yellowstone County. On May 6 2009 our Public Works Department staff communicated with Jeff Baumberger Bureau of Reclamation Manager of Resource Management Division in the Billings Montana Great Plains Regional office. He is also in agreement with and supports this project.

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Custer County/Rosebud County
Tongue River Road
$39,000,000

The Tongue River Road stretches between the communities of Ashland, MT and Miles City, MT. There is a stretch that is unpaved and consists of 38 miles. This project would complete approximately 18 miles of paving in Custer County and 20 miles in Rosebud County.

The Otter Creek coal tracts lie adjacent to the community of Ashland, MT and the Tongue River Road will be an essential transportation corridor when these tracts become mined at some point in the future. It is estimated that Montana could receive as much as $1.4 Billion from leasing the coal tracts and developing the coal mine could bring an additional bonus of $37 billion to Montana.

It would also open up options for commercial trade for area businesses and ranchers and for residents residing in Ashland as Miles City is a commercial hub for southeastern Montana. The road is currently essential to workers from Miles City employed in the mines and power plants in Colstrip, MT. The Tongue River Road is the only primary road in an area spanning seventy five miles between US Hwy 59 and I-94. In inclement weather conditions which exist approximately nine months of the year in Montana, this road can become extremely dangerous with frost heaves, holes, and mud. Travelers who are forced to travel this road are subject to danger and have very limited communications capabilities as cell phone service and radio capabilities in this area are poor to non-existent. If they choose to travel a different route to go around the unpaved area, they add an additional 65 miles at a minimum to their travel route.

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Montana Department of Transportation
Two Medicine River Bridge US-2 (East of Glacier National Park)
$34,000,000

This funding request will complete the funding to replace the aging Two Medicine Bridge, located in northwestern Montana on US-2, a National Highway System Route. The bridge is classified as structurally deficient. This bridge serves the eastern entrance to Glacier Park, and is within the Blackfeet Reservation. This structure’s footings are moving and they are being carefully monitored. This bridge is a critical link in the National Highway System and its replacement is needed to avoid a 300-mile detour of US 2 traffic. Funds received through this appropriation will be used to reconstruct this structure to a modern design years before the normal funding mechanisms will allow. Funding for this bridge project is urgently needed to supplement funding received in SAFETEA-LU as construction costs have dramatically increased since its passage.

This bridge is a critical link in the National Highway System and its replacement is needed to avoid a 300-mile detour of US 2 traffic.

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Montana Department of Transportation
I-90 East Belgrade Interchange
$18,000,000

This project will provide an additional Interstate-90 interchange, East of Belgrade Montana, to facilitate critical intermodal connectivity with Gallatin Field Airport and improved regional travel. Gallatin Field is the second busiest airport in Montana based on passenger boarding and tower operations, and the closest full-service airport to Yellowstone National Park. A new interchange in East Belgrade will also reduce congestion on State Secondary 205 between Belgrade and Bozeman, and reduce congestion at the existing Belgrade Interchange. The new interchange will improve regional and local mobility. The proposed I-90 east Belgrade Interchange will be Located on Interstate 90 east of the City of Belgrade, south of Gallatin field Airport, in Central Gallatin County, Montana.

The interchange will be approximately 1.15 miles east of the existing Belgrade Interchange (Crossroad Jackrabbit Lane N-85/U-606). The project includes construction of a connector road to the Frontage Road (U-605/S-205), intersecting at Gallatin Field road (U-610) to the North, and a connector road to the existing Alaska Road to the South in partnership with the local government.

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Lewis and Clark County
Birdseye Road Reconstruction
$16,000,000

Birdseye Road is located in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, northwest of the City of Helena. The proposed 12.5 mile road reconstruction project begins at Highway 12 at Country Club Lane, continues past Spring Meadow Park and extends past Fort Harrison (Section 15,T10N, R4W) in a northwesterly direction to the intersection with Highway 279, (Section 36, T12N, R5W). The average daily traffic on Birdseye Road is 1,474 trips, anticipated to increase to 4,500 trips per day by 2025.

Funding is needed to complete the three-phased Birdseye Road reconstruction project. Phase I includes project design activities. Lewis and Clark County will hire an engineering consultant to complete these activities. This early project development is essential for determining the most appropriate design and location for the reconstructed road, for identifying the actions and activities associated with reconstructing the Birdseye Road, and for helping to predict the impacts of reconstructing the Birdseye Road. Phase II of the project is right of way acquisition and Phase III is road reconstruction.

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Fergus County and Chouteau County
Paving Secondary Highway 236
$15,000,000

Fergus and Chouteau Counties are seeking funding to pave the unpaved section of secondary highway 236 (approximately 50 miles) from Winifred Mt. to 12 miles south of Big Sandy. Currently secondary 236 has a multi-million dollar bridge that crosses the Missouri River and the road transverses the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. There has been numerous other Federal, State and Local dollars spent on this road besides the bridge and yet the road is primitive at best for the amount of traffic it receives. 35 miles of the 85 mile road has been paved with an additional 12 miles prepared for paving that never happened. The portion of road on the south side leading to the river was realigned (for safety) at a cost of 3 million dollars. The state and counties have spent numerous dollars maintaining the road to its current condition. What we currently have is a road that serves thousands of people that is paved on both ends with a mediocre gravel road in the middle.

With the economic hardships the state, counties and individuals are feeling, we believe this project would have a huge economic impact for Montana. It would create jobs and would dramatically increase the economies of Havre, Box Elder, Big Sandy, Winifred, Lewistown and any town or city along the route to Yellowstone National Park. The Counties of Hill, Chouteau, Fergus, Wheatland, Sweet Grass and Park would also benefit significantly. With increased travel from our neighbors to the North (Canada) this would be a more direct route for those people traveling South thus helping our local communities economically. This road if it were paved would open the door for more businesses to move into our rural communities, would increase inter local trade, would benefit people to start their own businesses, and would make it easier for people to commute to work in our more urban communities. With more businesses and jobs to our rural communities would benefit our rural schools with both enrollment and tax base.

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Sanders County
“Heron Bridge” Heron, Montana
$15,000,000

The “Heron Bridge” is functionally obsolete and needs to be replaced. The bridge was built in 1920 and has a 12 ton weight limit in effect that is less than adequate for loaded school buses, trucks, emergency equipment, and county road equipment. The estimated cost for design, engineering, and construction is $15,400,000.00 per Morrison & Maierle Engineering Firm. Please provide funding for a much needed project – we need this bridge!

The Heron Bridge is the major route serving the town of Heron, Montana. The bridge is also the main route used by school buses, ambulance, law enforcement and fire service providers. The existing bridge was constructed around 1920. According to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) inspection records dated November 4, 2005, the structure is listed as “functionally obsolete and eligible for replacement”.

The existing structure has several issues concerning public safety. These issues result from deficient geometry, deteriorated members, and load limit members. Several elements on the bridge do not meet modern load requirements. In the event of a forest fire or train derailment we will be crippled in our response as the heavy equipment needed to help will be restricted.

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Broadwater County
Townsend Passing Lanes Project for US Highway 287 in Broadwater County
$10,000,000

This project would reconstruct 3.9 miles of US Highway 287 (National Highway N-8) from a severely deteriorated two-lane arterial highway section into a facility with passing lane opportunities and dedicated turn bays.

This project is Phase II of an effort to reconstruct 8.2 miles of US Highway 287 beginning just south of Townsend, Montana heading south to Toston, Montana near the Missouri River. The Townsend South Passing Lanes (this project) segment is the southerly 3.9 miles of the segment. The existing facility consists of a narrow two lane highway and is over 60 years old, built in 1939. To meet current Montana Department of Transportation’s geometric standards this segment requires reconstruction including: widening the roadway to at least 40 feet, wider in areas where passing lanes and/or turn bays are required: improving the horizontal and vertical alignments; rehabilitation or replacement the highway infrastructure features such as bridges and culverts; incorporation of passing opportunities; and reduce traffic conflicts by including appropriate turning movement opportunities at major intersections.

This section of US Highway 287 is between Helena and Bozeman, Montana; two of Montana’s larger urban and commerce areas. Additionally, this segment of US 287 is within an approximately 60 mile connection between Interstate 90 near Three Forks, Montana and Interstate 15 at Helena. Most of this 60 mile segment has been upgraded or has been scheduled for upgrade to modernize this section of US Highway 287. Traffic is projected to double from about 4,300 ADT to 8,600 ADT in twenty years.

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Madison County
Varney and Blaine Springs Bridge Replacements
$10,000,000

This project is for the replacement of the Varney and Blaine Springs Bridges located on Varney Road (Montana State Secondary Route 294) approximately five miles south of Ennis, Montana in Madison County. The Varney Bridge spans the Madison River and the Blaine Springs Bridge spans an overflow/side channel of the Madison River. The existing steel truss bridges were constructed in 1897 and are classified as Functionally Obsolete and in dire need of replacement.

D. Full description of the project and how it would benefit Montana (500 words or less):
The Varney and Blaine Springs bridges are located on Varney Road (Montana State Secondary Route 294) which serves as a connection between US Route 287 and Montana State Route 287. Both of these bridges are considered Functionally Obsolete and are eligible for replacement. The Varney Bridge is a two-span steel truss structure that was constructed in 1897. The bridge has a Sufficiency Rating of 16 and a structure rating of 3 based on the last inspection report completed by the Montana Department of Transportation in July of 2007. The bridge currently has a posted weight restriction of 5 Tons which limits all but passenger cars and trucks from crossing. The Blaine Springs Bridge is a single span steel truss structure that was also completed in 1897. The bridge has a Sufficiency Rating of 19.1 and a structure rating of 3 based on the July 2007 inspection report. This bridge has a posted weight restriction of 6 Tons.

As Varney Road and these two bridges serve as a connection between two highways, this route is considered a vital connection for emergency services in the area. Local fire departments, ambulance, sheriff, etc. used this route in the past as a quick connection from one side of the valley to the other. Utilizing this route could save upwards of 15 minutes in travel time for emergency responders which could be the difference between life and death in emergency situations. The bridges are now posted with weight restrictions which prohibit emergency responders such as fire trucks and ambulances from using this route which has increased response time in the area. This route also serves as a traffic bypass when one of the two highways is closed due to extreme weather. Typically the Montana Department of Transportation will use this traffic bypass every winter; the problem with this is the weight restrictions only allow for passenger cars and trucks, many larger vehicles are left stranded on the road until the highways open again.

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City of Livingston
Livingston Grade Separation Under Crossing
$6,400,000

The project purpose is to develop all of the environmental documentation, permits, right-of-way and easement identification-planning-acquisition, final project design, and necessary contract documents for construction of a separated grade rail road undercrossing. The funding requested, as part of this application, is to assist the City of Livingston in the completion of Phase One (all project activities except for construction).

The City and County recently completed a self-funded feasibility study ($81,000+) to determine if the additional grade separated rail crossing would benefit the region. The study evaluated the proposed grade separation site to assess safety concerns, issues at existing crossings, existing and future transportation network capacity, emergency response, constructability, and environmental factors. The study found that the City of Livingston and Park County would receive a measurable benefit from a grade-separated railroad under-crossing at Star Road. The additional crossing would accommodate anticipated growth northwest of the city and prevent undue impacts to the existing railroad crossings at 5th Street and B Street from the expected traffic demand. The additional grade-separated crossing, thereby improving public safety, would enhance emergency response to areas north of the railroad, a growing concern in the community. The traffic analyses documented that the proposed crossing would improve the transportation network within the study area. Traffic volumes and congestion on 5th Street and Front Street would be reduced substantially and most notably at the 5th Street railroad crossing and the signalized intersection of 5th Street and Park Street, which is expected to reach an unacceptable level of service without the additional crossing. No significant environmental issues were identified through the preliminary screening process.

The requested funds will be used to develop all of the environmental documentation, permits, right-of-way and easement identification-planning-acquisition, final project design, and necessary contract documents for construction of a separated grade rail road undercrossing as well as Phase 2 construction of the project.

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City of Big Timber
McLeod Street Renovation Project
$6,000,000

McLeod Street is a federal aid route from building front to building front, through the business district and from boulevard to boulevard in the residential area of Big Timber. The McLeod Street Renovation Project involves a segment of Montana State Secondary 298 (McLeod Street) from State Highway 10 to the Interstate 90 overpass. A city water line (1936) is located under the street and must to be replaced, in part, because it has lead fittings. There has been very little funding for up keep to the 1910 sidewalks and the surface condition is hazardous and a very real safety concern for the City. The State may require the City to implement parallel parking on McLeod Street so the City would like to resurface 2nd Avenue one block west, and 3rd Avenue east and west for one block for angled parking to replace the parking spaces that will be given up to parallel parking. McLeod Street is the gateway to the beautiful Boulder Valley, the Absaroka National Forest and the East Boulder Mine. McLeod Street is heavily used for each of these purposes. East Boulder Mine personnel buses and ore trucks use the street for multiple trips to and from the mine daily. Stillwater Mining Company pays substantial tax revenues to the City of Big Timber, to Sweet Grass County, and to the State of Montana. A renovated business district will attract new business ventures and provide additional employment opportunities. Tourism dollars are important to Big Timber and to the State of Montana. Having a renovated business district will entice travelers to visit the City’s many outdoor recreational features.

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Stillwater County
Johnson Bridge Replacement
$4,000,000

The Johnson Bridge is a three-span steel truss structure with a total span of 163-feet. The bridge has a Sufficiency Rating of 22.5 and a structure rating of 2 based on the most recent bridge inspection report completed by the Montana Department of Transportation on February 20 of 2008. The bridge currently has a posted weight restriction of only 6 Tons which limits all but passenger cars and trucks from crossing. Of all the bridges in Stillwater County the Johnson Bridge is the oldest bridge and has the lowest Sufficiency Rating indicating its current critical condition.

As Johnson Lane and this bridge serve as a connection between State Highway 78 and several residences, ranching properties, a fishing access site, and the popular Stillwater River, this route is considered an important connection for emergency and public services in the area. However, due to the current weight restriction and structural condition emergency responders including fire vehicles cannot utilize this route and must utilize an alternate route which results in at least 15 minutes of additional travel time. Although the Johnson Bridge is listed as Stillwater County’s number one priority bridge for replacement as listed in the 2008 Stillwater County Bridge Capital Improvement Plan, the County is not able to afford its replacement with local resources.

This project involves the replacement of the Johnson Bridge located on Johnson Lane approximately twelve miles south of Columbus, Montana in Stillwater County. The Johnson Bridge Number is listed as L48128000+04001 on the National Bridge Inventory System. The existing steel truss bridge spans the Stillwater River and is classified as Structurally Deficient in dire need of replacement. The bridge is listed as Stillwater County’s number one priority for Bridge Replacement based on the 2008 Stillwater County Bridge Capital Improvement Plan.

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City of Shelby
Intermodal Hub – Road Project
$3,720,000

The Shelby Intermodal Hub project was initiated in FY 2006 with $990,000 federal funds in the FY 2006 Transportation Appropriations Bill under the Transportation and Community and Systems Preservation (TCSP) account. FY 2006 funds were leveraged with local funds and used to complete all pre-construction activities and partial project construction. Funds were used for planning, environmental review, right-of-way acquisition, and partial design and construction of the rail spurs.

This project is “shovel-ready.” All pre-construction work is complete and construction could begin within 120 days upon receipt of funds. The total project cost is $4,650,000. $3,720,000 in federal funds (80%) would be used to help complete the project by constructing three access roads. The access roads are a critical to the completion of the
Shelby Intermodal Hub project as they will connect the site to Interstate 15 and Highway 2.

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Glacier County
Secondary Highway 444 (DelBonita/Meriwether)
$3,500,000

This project would pave seven miles of gravel road that is connecting two paved state highways (Highway 444 and 213)

State Highway #213 starting at the Del Bonita border crossing intersects with State Highway #444 which then connects with US Highway #2 at Meriwether. There is seven miles of gravel road belonging to Glacier County that impedes travel from Canada to the communities of Browning and Cut Bank in Glacier County and other towns in Montana. It is a gravel county road with 14 miles of paved highway on one end and 5 miles on the other end. It is hazardous and confusing to go from pavement to gravel and back to pavement. This would not only provide construction jobs but also greatly boost economic development on the reservation and the Browning and Cut Bank communities. This is a Shovel Ready Project.

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City of Bozeman
WEST COLLEGE STREET IMPROVEMENTS
$3,400,000

This project consists of reconstructing College Street from the intersection with Main Street east to the intersection with 11th Avenue. College Street will be reconstructed to a five-lane urban arterial roadway from Main Street east to 19th Avenue. A minimum of two travel lanes in each direction, bike lanes on each side, curb and gutter, piped irrigation canal, boulevard, sidewalk , ADA accessibility, and a raised median will be required. 19th Avenue east to 11th Avenue will be reconstructed to meet three-lane minor arterial standards including bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This section of West College has exceeded the volume of traffic it was projected to carry.

West College Street improvements are important to Montana because this two-lane non-standard street is the primary route for traffic going to and from Montana State University from US Highway 191. With over 14,000 Average Daily Trips (ADT), West College Street is currently over design capacity. In the peak morning hour, traffic on West College Street is backed up from Main Street to South 19th Avenue, a distance of nearly three-quarters of a mile. The street is congested with vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

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City of Belgrade
Belgrade Main Street
$2,620,000

The purpose of this project is to reconstruct Main Street in Belgrade Montana from Quaw Street to the Gallatin Field Airport. The project will create construction jobs, encourage business expansion in the central business district creating additional jobs as well as tax revenue. Specifically, the project will reconstruct Main Street with three Lane Roadway complete with curb, gutter and sidewalks dedicated left turn bays a major intersections to improve safety and access.

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City of Shelby
Intermodal Hub – Rail Lines
$2,680,000

This project will bring container freight service to Montana, allowing the State to transport goods to the Pacific Northwest by freight instead of heavy truck which will provide substantial economic, environmental, and safety benefits to Montana and across the Midwest to Northwest transportation corridor. All pre-construction activities were completed with FY 2006 Transportation Appropriations funding. Construction can begin within 90 days. The project will construct two rail spurs to give the Port of Northern Montana ample track to handle full shuttle and intermodal trains as well as full-length container trains, which will substantially boost the local and regional economy.

The Shelby Intermodal Hub project was initiated in FY 2006 with $990,000 in federal funds through the FY 2006 Transportation Appropriations Bill under the Transportation and Community and Systems Preservation (TCSP) account. FY 2006 funds were leveraged with local funds and used to complete all pre-construction activities and partial project construction. Funds were used for planning, environmental review, right-of-way acquisition, and partial design and construction of the rail spurs.

All pre-construction work is complete which will allow construction to begin within 90 days upon receipt of funds. The total project cost is $3,350,000. $2,680,000 in federal funds (80%) would be used to complete the construction of two rail spurs. The rail spurs will give the Port of Northern Montana ample track to handle full shuttle and intermodal trains as well as full-length container trains, which will substantially increase the number of inbound and outbound freight carloads/year and diversify inbound and outbound freight commodity. The City of Shelby and the Port of Northern Montana will provide a
20% local match of $670,000 for design, engineering, and partial excavation work.
The project has the potential to create hundreds of primary and thousands of secondary jobs, beginning with new businesses at the 106-acre Port of Northern Montana Energy Park which will utilize the Intermodal Hub and has the capacity to house 10 new businesses. Several prominent companies have expressed strong interest in locating at the Port of Northern Montana Energy Park in order to have direct access to the Intermodal Hub. Multiple other companies are expected to commit once construction begins and preliminary business negotiations are underway.

The project will also support new inbound and outbound freight shipment from the Midwest States to the Pacific Northwest and create jobs along this corridor. The project will also directly benefit businesses that currently rely on heavy trucks to move container shipments to and from the Pacific Northwest. It will allow these businesses to ship and receive containerized product by freight, reducing the costs, delays, congestion, pollution, and accidents stemming from heavy truck shipments.

This project is supported by the Montana Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. As indicated in a November 2008 Final Report by the Montana Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, the City of Shelby is the optimum site for an Intermodal Hub in Montana. This determination is largely based on the site’s prime location which is strategically located between Interstate 15 and US Highway 2 and just off Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s (BNSF) primary intermodal corridor connecting the Pacific Northwest to the key Midwest States.

The project is also strongly supported by the Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Northern Montana, the local community, and a number of businesses that wish to utilize Shelby’s Intermodal Hub.

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Mineral County
Cyr Bridge and Old Highway 10
1,800,000

Rehabilitation of the Cyr Bridge, located off Interstate 90 about 1,600 feet, which is as a secondary road bridge that provides area access for residents as well as the Alberton Gorge, a major recreational site. The west four miles of the Old Highway 10 needs to be resurfaced.
The Cyr Bridge was constructed in 1932 out of steel trusses with a concrete deck. The Montana Department of Transportation rates this bridge as a 63, which classifies the bridge for rehabilitation. Once the rating is 50 or less, the bridge is eligible for replacement. The proposal would rehabilitate the deck and guardrails and repair deficiencies in the steel beam supports.

The Cyr Bridge provides access to 35 residences and the floaters using the Alberton Gorge, which peaks with 100 vehicle trips per day in the summer months. The Cyr area has private property that could be further developed into residential housing. Mineral County has approved one 73 lot subdivision and considered another 58 lot subdivision. The Old Highway 10 road segment is currently maintained by Mineral County but has not been resurfaced for approximately 20 years. This road segment provides return access for the recreational users during the summer floating and fishing season.

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City of Hamilton
Fairgrounds Road Improvements
$1,400,000

This project will widen Fairgrounds Road and provide room for 2 bike lanes along with curb, gutter and sidewalk between the Hamilton High School and US 93 and the city downtown area. US 93 runs north-south through the city and serves as First Street. Fairgrounds Road runs from East Side Highway (a state designated highway that parallels US 93 and serves the east side of the Bitterroot Valley, and US 93. It is the principle route for students and