Tag Archives: road maintenance

Larry Wilson: North Fork threat level still secret

Commentary, News, , , , ,

In this week’s column, Larry Wilson covers a broad range of topics, including the Border Patrol’s seemingly excessive secrecy about their operations . . .

It has been another action-packed, fun-filled week on the North Fork, with community service, educational, informative and just plain fun social events. The biggest gathering was for the interlocal meeting, which I would call informative and educational.

For several years, the Border Patrol has been asked about the threat level on the North Fork and whether or not arrests have been made here and, if so, for what offense. The Border Patrol’s reply is that they can tell us arrests have been made but they cannot provide details or inform us about the threat level.

I can understand not being informed about the threat level – that might fluctuate from day to day subject to nationwide possibilities. I don’t understand why we cannot be told about North Fork arrests and what the violations were. Even assuming continuing investigation of a particular event, they could give us details of 2008-2010 arrests. We would then know what to watch for and could even aid the Border Patrol with information.

Continue reading . . .

Harsh winter hammers county roads

News,

Here’s another one of those obligatory, periodic road pieces.

It will come as no surprise to anyone on the North Fork that winter was pretty hard on local roads. An article in today’s Daily Inter Lake discusses this. It also provides some statistics on this year’s cost-shared dust abatement program . . .

Flathead County roads are in bad shape this spring, the county’s public works director told commissioners Tuesday.

“I’ve never seen it this bad in my career,” Dave Prunty responded when Commissioner Dale Lauman asked him if there is “an extraordinary amount of road breakup this year.”

Continue reading . . .

Larry Wilson: ‘The Road,’ a history

Commentary, News, , ,

This week, Larry Wilson discusses the state of the North Fork Road this mud season and compares it with conditions in past decades . . .

I made two round trips from Trail Creek to Columbia Falls this week and one of my neighbors asked how I fared on the terrible road. My reply was that I thought the road was really good – for the time of year.

How you view the North Fork Road is a matter of perception. If you compare it to Interstate 90 it is always awful. In fact, by comparison, it isn’t a road at all, it’s a nearly impassable ditch.

If you compare it to how it was in 1950 it is greatly improved…

Continue reading . . .

Corridor study outlines North Fork Road options

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

For those of you not wishing to wade through multi-megabytes of material, today’s Daily Inter Lake has a good summary of the findings of the recently completed North Fork Flathead Road Corridor Study . . .

Only additional grading and stabilization treatments for the North Fork Road have broad public support, according to a recently completed study of the road corridor.

The North Fork Flathead Road Corridor Study does not recommend a specific project for the road, but instead focuses on improvement options.

Read the full article . . .

Final North Fork Road Corridor Study document available

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The final North Fork Flathead Road Corridor Study document is now available for download from the study’s web page. The study document does not include the three associated appendices, which can also be downloaded from the same place. For those of you who don’t wish to wade through the full 66-page document, the study group’s September newsletter contains a good summary of the findings and conclusions.

Here’s the ultra-condensed version: The corridor study was a $125K Montana Department of Transportation project looking at alternatives for improving the condition of the North Fork Road from Blankenship Road to Camas Junction. The final conclusion recommends improved road maintenance and some sort of dust abatement (several options are listed). Paving was not recommended.

NFLA Road Committee issues year-end report

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

As many of you know, the North Fork Landowners’ Association Road Committee has been doing an exceptional and balanced job collecting and presenting well-researched road maintenance and dust abatement information. They recently completed and posted their Final Road Report for 2008 – 2009, summarizing all their activities for the past two years. For more detail, including links to all their postings, check out the NFLA North Fork Road Page.

Narrowing the North Fork Road south of Camas

News, ,

Here’s an interesting entry from the North Fork Landowners’ Association Road Committee’s February minutes:

Dave Prunty has inquired about landowners’ interest in narrowing the section of gravel road from the end of the blacktop to Camas Creek Road. It is currently 40 plus feet wide and the proposal is to narrow it to a 24-foot width. The 24-foot width would reduce maintenance expenses from the grading aspect and probably plowing snow as well. The county thinks there is some good material that would be “reclaimed” to provide a better driving surface. The county is just beginning to [talk] about this idea and wanted community input.

To comment, landowners can contact the Road Committee at northforkroad@live.com. Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty can be contacted directly at dprunty@flathead.mt.gov, although it’s probably best and most effective to funnel comments through the Road Committee in most circumstances.

By the way, the NFLA Road Committee has been doing some very nice work. See their North Fork Road page for details. Recommended reading.

County eyes federal funds for road work

News, , ,

From the Monday, March 23, 2009 edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Flathead County hopes to get money from the federal Secure Rural Schools Act this summer to make improvements on the North Fork and Star Meadows roads.

The county has asked for $175,000 in federal money to apply crushed rock on the North Fork Road between Camas Road and Polebridge. About $66,000 has been requested to finish chip-sealing 2.7 miles of Star Meadows Road. County equipment and manpower would be used to match the federal money.

Read the entire article . . .

North Fork Road paving not on county wish list

News, , ,

OK, it looks like the Daily Mistake Inter Lake was in error the other day when they listed “a $4.1 million rebuild of the North Fork Road, with paving to the Camas entrance of Glacier National Park” as being on the Flathead County wish list for federal stimulus funds. According to a brief note from Jack Potter, who is Chief of the Division of Science and Resources Management for Glacier National Park, the money would be used for such things as “the washout on the Camas hill and the replacement of the Akokala Creek Bridge.” So, these funds are being requested to make repairs affecting the perpetually disheveled inside North Fork Road on the park side of the river.

North Fork Road paving on county wish list for stimulus money

News, ,

The Tuesday, March 10, 2009 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake had an article on the Flathead County Commissioner’s wish list of projects for federal stimulus funds. This includes the following excerpt of interest to North Forkers:

…Roads figure heavily into the county’s proposed stimulus projects.

Among the most expensive road projects on the list is a $4.1 million rebuild of the North Fork Road, with paving to the Camas entrance of Glacier National Park…

It’s not clear why this item is included, since it is likely not enough money to get the job done. Still, it’s interesting that it made the list.

Read the entire article for more details and context . . .