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Gallatin County Intersection Improvements

In 2023, Gallatin County kicked off a planning effort to identify improvement options for three critical intersections on County roads between Belgrade and Bozeman. These intersections were identified in the Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan (GTATP) as needing improvements to address crash trends and improve traffic flow.

The original purpose of this project was to identify potential improvement options for each intersection, conduct a detailed analysis of all options, and identify the best solution for each intersection while balancing multimodal traffic needs, safety concerns, environmental impacts, cost, feasibility, and input from landowners, stakeholders, and the public. As the project has progressed, the County continues to evaluate potential funding opportunities for future implementation of the project’s recommendations. 

In the spring of 2024, the Gallatin County Commission determined that proceeding with a project to fully reconstruct the Alaska Road South corridor would garner the best chances to secure funding from upcoming discretionary grant funding programs for the advancement of intersection and safety improvements identified through this effort. Accordingly, Gallatin County has opted to complete the intersection alternatives analysis as originally intended, in addition to completing preliminary design for full reconstruction of the Alaska Road South corridor and associated intersections. It is anticipated that this preliminary design effort will position the County well for upcoming discretionary grant opportunities.

The County intends to move forward with design and construction of the Love Lane/Durston Road intersection as additional funding becomes available.

The elements included in the project are described as:

Projects News

May 1, 2024

Alaska Road South Update

In the spring of 2024, the Gallatin County Commission evaluated potential funding opportunities for future implementation of the Gallatin County Intersection Improvements Project. Given upcoming discretionary grant program opportunities, the County considered which project(s) would be most competitive for grant funds. Based on eligibility requirements and other constraints, the County determined that proceeding with a project to fully reconstruct the Alaska Road South corridor would garner the best chances to secure funding for the advancement of these intersection and safety improvement projects.

Accordingly, Gallatin County has opted to complete the intersection alternatives analysis as originally intended, in addition to completing preliminary design for full reconstruction of the Alaska Road South corridor and associated intersections. It is anticipated that this preliminary design effort will position the County well for upcoming discretionary grant opportunities.

The County intends to move forward with design and construction of the Love Lane/Durston Road intersection as additional funding becomes available.

February19, 2024

Public Feedback Survey Results

A survey was conducted after the December 14 public meetings for the Gallatin County Intersection Improvements with a total of 222 responses. The brief survey was designed to garner feedback on community priorities for the three intersections as well as input on various alternatives for each intersection, such as no action, all-way stop, turn lanes, traffic signal, or roundabout.

Survey participants were asked to prioritize what to focus on when evaluating potential improvements, while keeping in mind physical and budgetary limitations. Overall, there is a need for comprehensive solutions to address these many challenges while ensuring safe and efficient transportation systems. Feedback includes concerns about traffic congestion, pedestrian and cyclist safety, road damage from heavy vehicles, future population growth, and the need for synchronized development. Other considerations include speed limit enforcement, weather effects/adverse road conditions, maintenance requirements, and environmental implications.

When asked if there were any other possibilities to address their concerns at the three intersections, respondents underlined the need for public transit, pedestrian/cyclist infrastructure, and road upgrades to mitigate increased traffic from future developments. Overall, there is a desire for comprehensive planning that prioritizes safety, sustainability, and future expansion. 

December 18, 2023

Update: Love Lane / Durston Road Intersection

The all-way stop that was installed at the Love Lane/Durston Road this summer has been very well received by the community. While the original intent was to remove the all-way stop once construction activities on Baxter Lane ended, the County has determined that the all-way stop has provided traffic and safety benefits for the intersection.

Gallatin County intends to keep the all-way stop at this intersection and also plans to install stop signs with LED borders to enhance visibility of the intersection and improve safety.

December 15, 2023

Gallatin County Hosted First Public Meetings

On December 14, Gallatin County and RPA hosted two public meetings, one in person and one virtual, to share information with the community and gather feedback on potential improvements. 

For those who were unable to attend, we have provided links to the materials below as well as a link to share any feedback you might have through our brief survey.

November 30, 2023

Public Engagement Opportunity

Gallatin County and RPA will be hosting a public open house and live virtual public meeting to provide information to interested parties about identified areas of concern, present preliminary findings, and gather feedback on potential improvements. Both events will be hosted on the same day and will contain the same content. The public is invited to participate in one or both events at their convenience.

  • VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING
    December 14, 2023 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
    Virtual | Click here to register 
  • PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE
    December 14, 2023 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM
    Gallatin County Courthouse (311 W Main St) | Community Room 
July 28, 2023

Love Lane / Durston Road Intersection

The intersection of Love Lane and Durston Road has seen increased traffic due to construction activity and detours associated with the Baxter Lane reconstruction project. As part of the traffic control plan, the City of Bozeman installed all-way stop-control to help traffic flow and operations. The installation is intended to be temporary while construction activities are ongoing.

An evaluation of the additional traffic control will be completed to help identify potential short-term improvements for the intersection of Love Lane and Durston Road. 

July 27, 2023

One-On-One Meetings with the Project Team

Gallatin County and RPA hosted introductory meetings with landowners adjacent to the project intersections. The meetings were intended to provide an opportunity to hear from landowners about their concerns and to have open dialogue prior to project development. They were invited to meet with the project team one-on-one to share their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and questions to help inform this effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gallatin County is the contracting authority for this effort and hired Robert Peccia and Associates (RPA) to help develop the project. Representatives from Belgrade and the Montana Department of Transportation are anticipated to be involved in the effort for intersections impacting their jurisdictions. This project is intended to be a collaborative effort between the County, government partners, adjacent landowners, stakeholders, and the surrounding community.

Since the East Belgrade I-90 interchange was constructed in 2015, traffic volumes on Alaska Road South, which extends south of the interchange, have more than doubled and truck traffic has increased significantly. This connection that once provided an easy, congestion-free route for Gallatin County residents traveling between the communities of Belgrade and Bozeman but has become increasingly popular as development continues to occur in the area. Increasing demand on this narrow two-lane county road has resulted in degraded intersection operations, increasing safety conflicts, and deteriorating pavement conditions. Two primary intersections along the route, Alaska Road South/Cameron Bridge Road and Alaska Road South/East Valley Center Road, have been identified by the County as needing upgrades to accommodate demand and improve safety.

For commuters between Belgrade and Bozeman, a common route involves traveling south on Alaska Road South to East Valley Center Road, east to Love Lane, then south to Huffine Lane or other connecting east-west routes including Baxter Lane and Durston Road. In 2019, a roundabout was constructed at Love Lane/Baxter Lane to address growing safety concerns. Now, the intersection of Love Lane/Durston Road has been identified as needing improvements to address safety and operational concerns resulting from increased traffic volumes.

It is true that the Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan recommended that the County consider roundabouts at each of the three intersections included in the project. However, the County intends to consider all possible options for each intersection, including traffic calming, geometric enhancements, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), pedestrian and bicycle improvements, all-way stop control, traffic signals, and roundabouts, when determining the best solution for the unique context of each intersection.

The County, in coordination with traffic engineers, road designers, and environmental specialists, will work together to identify all possible options for each intersection. With input from stakeholders and the public, the project team will conduct a multi-level evaluation process to compare alternatives and identify the best performing solution for each intersection. The team will consider traffic performance, safety benefits, environmental and right-of-way impacts, multimodal accommodations, construction feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and public input when determining the best solution. It is possible that the project team could identify short-term improvements that can be quickly implemented to improve conditions while final design is being completed.

The public is invited to participate in the project through public open house events and ongoing information review and input. This website has been developed to provide updates as the project progresses and offer an opportunity to submit comments for the project team to consider. Event dates, times, formats, and locations of engagement opportunities will be announced through the local media, the project mailing list, and this website.

Anyone interested in the project is encouraged to join the email list by filling out the “Stay Informed” form on this page to stay informed about project developments. The County, RPA, and the rest of the project team will collect and consider all public comments received to better understand the public view of potential issues and needs at each intersection.

 

The County expects to identify a preferred alternative for each intersection by Summer 2024. After receiving approval from the County Commission, design of each alternative will commence. The final design, right-of-way acquisition, permitting, and construction phases will follow as projects are prioritized and funding becomes available. Short-term or temporary improvements, if identified, may be constructed much sooner. The availability of funding will ultimately influence the speed of design and construction. The County is actively seeking grant funding so improvements can be completed in a timely manner.

Contacts

Scott Randall, PE, PTOE

Project Manager
(406) 447-5005
srandall@rpa-hln.com

Levi Ewan, PE

Gallatin County Engineer
(406) 582-3250
levi.ewan@gallatin.mt.gov

Schedule

Spring 2023

Project Kickoff

Spring 2023
Spring/Summer 2023

Field Investigations

Landowner Coordination

Spring/Summer 2023
Fall/Winter 2023

Concept Development & Alternatives Analysis I

Community Engagement

Fall/Winter 2023
Spring/Summer 2024

Preliminary Conceptual Design & Alternatives Analysis II

Spring/Summer 2024
Fall/Winter 2024

Reporting, Review, & Approval

Public, Stakeholder, & Commission Review & Approval

Fall/Winter 2024
Spring 2025

Grant Applications

Spring 2025
Future (TBD)

Design & Implementation

Future (TBD)

Documents

Project Events

Please join us from 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the Community Room at the Gallatin County Courthouse (311 W Main St) to learn more about this project.

The County will host a live virtual public meeting at 12:00 PM to share initial findings and present potential improvement options.

Click here to review the recording of the virtual meeting.

Representatives of the project team were available for one-on-one meetings at the Gallatin County Road and Bridge Department Conference Room (205 W Baxter Lane).

Stay Informed

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