Commissioners, MDT discuss speed, safety

The Lincoln County Commissioners met with a traffic engineer from the Montana Department of Transportation Wednesday during their regular meeting, and discussed possible locations for future changes in signs and speed limits in several areas, including near the Kootenai Falls pulloff on Highway 2.

James Freyholtz from the MDT Kalispell office suggested that a safety study would be more appropriate to the situation at the Kootenai Falls pull off.

Commissioner Jerry Bennett said that the concern arises primarily in the busy summer months, when RVs parked close to the road further decrease the already limited visibility.

Bennett said that he is aware of at least one fatality and several injuries related to traffic collisions in the area.

Commissioner Mark Peck said that there have been lots of close calls with people attempting to pull out of the parking area and traffic traveling Highway 2.

Bennett suggested warning signs of some kind located near the existing signs for the Kootenai Falls County Park, in addition to a reduced speed through the curve that passes the parking area.

Freyholtz said that MDT has tried to improve visibility, such as clearing out brush last summer. However, he acknowledged that it is particularly difficult to spot oncoming traffic on the east end of the parking area.

With all the improvements at the Kootenai Falls, such as the cook shack -- which now is now open more -- and increased visibility of the falls online, it is likely that the park will only become more popular. In the summer, the parking area is often full already.

“That is a tragedy waiting to happen,” Peck said.

Bennett said that he is concerned about even a single additional fatality due to the poor visibility at the location.

“To me, one is too many,” he said.

Freyholtz said that he would look into having a safety study done for the curve that passes the parking area.

In addition, Freyholtz also discussed speed limit studies with the commissioners for Pipe Creek where the speed limit goes down to 45 mph, Highway 93 going north to the Canadian border and Kootenai River Road residential areas.