Highway 37 work to begin soon

Much of the bone jarring, teeth rattling, spring busting drive between Libby Dam and Rexford will be smoothed out this summer.

The first resurfacing of Montana 37 between Libby and Eureka will begin soon with Schellenger Construction of Columbia Falls as the primary contractor.

"I have pushed for this work for years and promises of resurfacing are becoming real. The following details are from discussions with Justin Juelfs, Montana Department of Transportation Superintendant, Kalispell.  

The first leg will be 12.5 miles beginning north of Libby Dam at milepost 17 to the Ten Mile Bridge. Some preliminary work has been done and the estimated completion date is June 30, 2024 or sooner, depending on the weather. Project cost is $4.3 million of state money. This is strictly surfacing through a “mill and fill process” with reuse of the existing surface. 

Then Schellenger will begin a 12.2 mile stretch south of Rexford, but this is a more intensive job of pulverizing the top 18 inches with new on top and then chip seal. Tentative start date is June 17 and estimated length of the project is 130 days.

Aggregate permit is pending for a proposed gravel pit on Airport Road. Cost for this project will $11.2 million. Montana Dept. of Transportation will cover 13 percent to match 87 percent of the dollars from the federal government. 

Schellenger will subcontract for traffic control, signposts, final chip seal and pavement striping. 

Also yet to be awarded is a bridge preservation project for the entire Highway 37 distance. Some of the 11 bridges will require more work than others. This is scheduled for contract award on June 6, 2024.  The work on bridges will require coordination with work on the two highway projects, so it is likely to begin on the south end. 

That will leave the central 12 mile stretch of Highway 37 to be awarded. Major improvements to Highway 37 have been on my bucket list since I ran for the Montana House of Representatives in 2010. The coming 2025 session will be my last, although my senate term runs through 2026. 

Highway 37 was carved out of the rock cliffs on the east side of the Kootenai River while Libby Dam was being constructed.

"As editor of The Western News at Libby, I travelled and photographed most of the entire project, and I was among the first half dozen cars in the caravan that drove the new Montana 37 after the ceremonial ribbon cutting in either 1974 or 1975," Cuffe said. "I plan to be an early traveler on the resurfaced Highway 37."