Flower Lake Road paving enhances access to recreation

The paving of 1.3 miles of Flower Lake Road was completed on Aug. 7, opening up better access to recreation while also keeping the City of Libby's watershed clean, according to officials.

Many know the road as "Flower Creek Road" because Flower Creek parallels the newly paved section of road. The project started in 2017 and was delayed in 2022 due to rising costs, according to Tony Petrusha, an independent contractor for the city and an organizer for the Libby Outdoor Recreation Association.

"It's a pretty minor accomplishment, but it's a significant task to get there," Petrusha said.

Support for the project came from the Libby Outdoor Recreation Association, in conjunction with the Cross Country Ski Club, who had aimed to improve access up there for about five years, Petrusha said. The City of Libby also had an interest in improving access for the road, as it leads to the Flower Creek Dam, Petrusha said.

Funding for the project came through three grants the Superior Rural School and Community Self Determination Act approved.

The project used a $20,000 grant for preparation, and the other two grants, numbering $30,000 each, were used for paving the road.

"There was some concern that paving is a heat sink and causes warmer nights. Well, I agree," Petrusha said. "The difference between paving and sediment in the creek, we've got to weigh that."

With the road paved, particulate matter should not enter the city's water supply, which Flower Creek provides, Petrusha said.

"Being conscious that we're up in the City of Libby watershed, where they get their water supply, is always a concern. So, keeping runoff and silt out of the water supply is always beneficial. We didn't get it done last year because the paving cost increased about 30%," he said.

The Lincoln County Road Department played a pivotal role in assisting with the project, Petrusha said. The planning phase involved a lot of preliminary work, such as enlarging pullouts, relocating boundary gates, and straightening road corners and county machinery was used during the process, Petrusha said.

Another grant was required last year, as the project was delayed by increasing paving costs. Initially, the cost to pave the road was $58 per ton, but it went up to $76 per ton by the end of the project.

"We did the preliminary work and we had that done. But when it came time to pave with our original allocation, it was about 40% short of what we needed to do, so we had to return for another grant," Petrusha said.

As a result, 1.3 miles of Flower Creek Road, the stretch from Granite Lake Road to near Flower Creek Dam, is paved with asphalt.

Road maintenance will be more accessible and winter plowing should improve so that school buses can now access the cross-country ski course during the winter, Petrusha said.

Additionally, the road will provide access to recreation and could become a central hub for Libby's recreational activities, Petrusha said.

"There are about 15 miles of trail that are accessible from this point," he said. "Of course, there's always more to come."