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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMDOT Newsline March 2005Governor Appoints Members To Transportation Commission & Aeronautics Board N n February 25, Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed 'n,_~ three new members to the Montana Transportation Commission and five new members to the Montana Aeronau- tics Board. The state's Transportation Commission and Aeronautics Board are independent, quasi-judicial bodies established by state law. The appointments are for four-year terms and sub- ject to approval by the Montana Senate. Members of the Transportation Commission represent the five transportation districts in the state. At least one of the members must have specific knowledge of Indian culture and tribal transportation needs. The director of MDT acts as a liaison between thc commission and the Department of Trans- portation. The Aeronautics Board consists of nine members, at least one of whom must be an attorney. Members of the board represent various facets of the aviatiott community. The board acts in an advisory capacity to MDT and has statutory authority over allocation of ahport development loan and grant funds and pavement preservation grant funds. Transportation Commission Rill Kennedy Deb I(ottel Rick Griffith BiU Kcnaedy, a YeUowatone County Comm/ssioner, ~ serve as chair of the Transportation Commission. Kennedy is currently pres/dent of the Montana Association of Counties. He w/Il reprasent District 5 on the commission replacing Meredith Reiter. Deb Kottel wiil fill the District 3 post formerly held by Dan Rice. She is dean of the College of Gradnate Studies at the University of Great Palls. She also serves as chak of the Great Falls International Airport Authority Board and is on the executive committee for the Great Falls Development Authority. Rick Griffith will represent District 2 replacing Shiell Anderson. Gfiffithis the maunger ofBe~t Mooney Airport in Butte and president of the Butte Local Development Associa- tion. He has served as a Butte-Sliver Bow commissioner and city councilman and is past president of the Montana Airport Managers Association. Aeronautics Board Tricia McKenna William Hunt Jr. Fred Leisti!ro Roger Lincoln Ted $chye Tricia McKenna will represent the Chamber of Commerce on the Aeronautics Board and serve as its chair. McKenna is a registered life and health Insurance agent and is a partner with her husband in John McKenna and Associates. She is a member of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce and is active in Special Olympics. William E. Hunt, Jr., a city attorney for Shelby, will serve as the local government representative and attorney member of the board. He is a captain in the Montana Army National Guard and commander of the 3669th General Support Maln- tettanec Company. I-~ is also a volunteer emergency medical technician and a board member for the Tooin County Golden Triangle Mental Health Center. Fred Lcistiko is manager of the Kalispell City Airport and will represent the airport managers on the board. He is chair of the Flathead County 911 Administrative Board and mem- ber of the state 911 Advisory Council. Roger Lincoln and his wife own a crop-spray/ng business as w~ll as farms in Hill and Toole Counties. He is on the Farm Service Agency committee for Hill County and belongs to the Montana Pilots Association and the Montana and Na- tional Aerial Applicators Associations. He will serve as rep- resentafive for aerial applicators. Ted Schye is chief pilot and director of operal/ons for Glasgow's Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital air ambu- lance. A farmer for 25 years, Schye is also an aviation educa- tor and a long-time member of the Montana Pilots Associa- tion and the Aiwrnft Owners and Pilots Association. He will represent the Montana Pilots Association on the board. New Highway Map Commemorates Lewis and Clark Bicentennial The new 2005-2006 Lewis and Clark Commemorative Edition of the Montana Highway Map is now available for free distribution. This year's map celebrates the 200th anni- versary of the Corps of Discovery's historic journey through Montana. The map also has a new look and a new feel. Printed on a semi gloss, cycled paper, the colom appear more vibrant and the text is sharper and cas- ier to read. At the request of map users and travelem, a driving distance map showing time and distances between select Mun- tana cities was once again placed on the front of the map. The mileage chart was also returned to the front to keep all map- related and location data on the same side. The back of the map continues to showcase Montana's ma- jor urban and mm/st destination areas. The new layout includes two additional inset maps, one for Big Sky Meadow Village and one:for Sidney, as well as information on the six tourism re- gious. The back side also lists national signature events sur- rounding the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, highlights places to visit along the Lewis and Clark trail, and provides Web sites and phone numbers. This year's map was redesigned using AreGIS 9.0 sof~ware. The new platform can work with other mapping and spatial pro- grams and facilitates adding new layers for future updates. The new map has 75 layers of information and shows over 25,000 miles of roads and 566 cities and towns. It cunmiues to display lraffic regulations; weather report, road condition, and emer- gency phone numbers; Montana's state symbols; and a welcome message from Govemur Schweitzer. To order your copy of the new map, call 800-VISIT MT (800-847-4868) or visit the Web at http:/Avww, mdt. state, mt. us/ travinfo/maps. Eureka and Kalispell Rail Lines Change Hands ~'~ n December 28, the Mission Mountain Railro ~ad ~,-.~:became Montana's fourth short-line railroad when it began operationun 40 miles of track in northwast Mun- Mission Mountain took~over two separate lines through lease and purchase agreements with the Burling~ ton Northern and SantaFe Railway C0rnpeny; The north- em line begins at Stryke£ and extends northwest to Eureka. The southern line begins in Coinmbia Fallsend extends southwest to Kalispell. Together, the two lines are expected to serve about a dozen customers and move over 10.000 carloads of primarily forest:products and grain each year. Mission Mountain is a wholly owned subsidiary of Watco Companies,: whfch is based in Kansas; Watco cur- rentiy operates nine other short-linc raikoads in eleven Mission Mountain Railroad'~ office isin Columbia Falls. For more information, cuntact genaral manager Norm Brown at'892-3293 ornbrown@watcocornpanies, conr.. 2 Dena Mora Rest Area Welcomes Visitors Montana's newty constructed Dena Mora Rest Area received high ratings for its design and cI~an#nes~; V isitors entering Big Sky Countty from Idaho or leaving Montana heading west on 1-90, will find a newly con- stmcted rest area at Dena Mom The new facility, located approximately 5 miles from the Idaho border, features anturel materials such as wood and masonry to help the smic- tures blend with their surrotmthngs. Exterior lighting contributes to the safety and security of rest area truers. In 1995, when MlYr staff began Planning for the replacement of the Lookout Pass rest area, a field review indicated that a dual rest area (one with a facility on each side of the Interstate) at Dena Morn was the best option. Construction be- gan in the spring of 2003, and the facility was completed ia the summer of 2004. During the fall of 2004, travelers who stepped at Dena Morn were asked to fill out a survey rating 30 elements including acs- th·ties, accessibility, facilities, travel information, picnic area, landscaping, and safety. Travelers who completed the survey (100 surveys were returned) had an over- whelmingly positive impression of this facility. Visitors gave the highest ratings to the building design, cleanliness, walk- ways, and access and parking. Of these responding, 87% thought the design was excellent, 94% rated the cleanliness as excellent, and 98% The Dena Morn Rest Area replaced the old facility pictured above. said the parking access and walkways were excellent or good. When comparing this facility to rest areas in other states, 95% of the respondents, representing sixteen states from coast-to- coast, rated it excellent or good. Respondents also provided the following comments: · "Very nice." · "Perfect." · "Nicest F ye ever secn." · "Beautiful, great materials." · "By far the best.' · · "Best we have been in." · "We were impre~ssed with rest steps in this area~" · "I really like the choice of locale and design to fig with environment." The positive survey results at the new Dena Morn Rest Areal~ are similac to results gathered at the Sweet Grass Rest Area after it was rebuilt in 2002. With additional rest areas planned throughout the state, visitors and residents can look forward to new and improved facilities as they travel throughout "Big Sky Country." Watt Levis Named MDT Public Information Officer Charity Wan Levis Charitywas re- Watt Levis centiy named the public in- formation officer for the Montana Department of Transportation. In this position, Watt Levis will oversee the deparUnant's external and internal comm~lnicatiolls and public relations activities. She will be the main point of contact for media throughout the state. Most recently, Watt Levis was the information officer at the Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation and prior to that was the manager of public relations for AAA MountainWest. She also served as the program manager at the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce. A Helena native, Watt Levis holds a Bachelor of Science in Business-Marketing degree from Montana State University- To contact Charity, call 444-7205 er send an e-mail to cwattlevis@mt, gov. 3 U.S. 2- Columbia Heights-East ~efore After U.S. 2 near Columbia Heights in August 2002 prior to the improve- rnent project. The same stretch of highway in August 2004following completion of the Columbia Heights. East Project. MDT Chooses Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator p ara Langve-Davis is MlYr's new bicycle~pehestrian coordi- nator. She will serve as a contact for bicycle and pedestrian safety infor- marion, assist with design standards for bicycle/pedesUian facilities, sup- ply signs for cycling events, provide bicycle touring information, and co- ordinate ~ralning of MDT and local staff in bicyclist and pedestrian facil- ity design. Pam Langve-Davis A Montana native, pm'n grew up in Laurel and lived in Gardiner before moving to Helena seven years ago. She started working for MDT in the summer of 1997, ~ravellng through- out the state to rate road conditions for the Materials Division. Most recently, she was a program specialist with the Community Transportation Enhance- ment Program and a planner in the Pro- ject Analysis Bureau. At age s~ Twila Davis is already a veteran cyclist. As the mother of a six-year-old daughter, Twila, who started hiking and biking when she was two, Para has a vested interest in bicycie/pedastrian safety and awareness. If you have any questions for Para, contact her at 444 9273 or plangvedavis~ mt. gov. MTA 2005 Spring Conference TheMontana Transit Association will hold its 2005 (MIA) Spring Conference April 13-15 at the Holiday Inn- Park, side in Miasoulz. The conference is an annual event that provides the ~ransii community with information and updates on new federal and state programs. This year's agenda includes workshops by MTA members, MDT staff, and guests from the Commumty Transportation Association of America. MDT staff will also present a course on Paasenger Assis- tance Service and Safety beginning April 12. For further information, contact Lyn I-Iellegam'd of the Mis- soula Transit Association at 327-8707. 4 The Life and Times of CTEP W atch out! There's a new teen-ages on ~ block! But ma be that's not so bad De en ' y . p ding on how you count the years, the Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) is now about 13 years old. Like all youngsters, CI'EP has had its share of growing pains but h~ survived and flour- ished through the years, and the expectation is that L'ft~P-- which is very popular with Montana's local and tribal govern- merits--will be equally successful in the future. The Early Yeare Not many of ua remember the birth of ~l'l~'--in fact, neue of the current MDT CTEP staff were a part of the original pro- gram--and most of the original local-governmeut CTEP admin- istrators have been replaced or have retired. Ul'l~ was devel- opad in 1992 through collaboration with MDT, the Montana Association of County Officials, and the Montana League of Cities and Towns. The ensuing tri-party agreement established a unique process whereby the funding that must be spent on anhaneemeats in the Fedesal-aid program (about $5 million an- nually) would larguly be allocated to local governments for eli- gible projects selacted by local officials. This approach is sig- nificantly a~ffesent than transportation enhancement programs ia other stales where co~-,~anifies must apply for funds and the state picks the projects. The records show that the fa'st CI'F2 project applleations were submitted ia late 1992 and early 1993. A railroad depot rehabilitation in Harlowton and landscaping of city parks in Red Lodge were among the first pmjnet applications, as well as ap- plicatiom for pedestrian and bi~3rcle patlm in Grout Fall~ and Missoula. Eventually, nearly every eligible local government ia Montana put forth a project application (them are a few local governments that have never applied for a project--however, they have donated funds to other local ageneias for projects). The Wonder Yearn A popular television show of some years past~q'he Won- der Yeers"--focused on a young boy as he grew up, getting aducated buth in and out of school. The show's narrator--the grown-up man that the boy bec~lead~ as m believe that those were the best years of his life--trely wonderful years, The wonder years for CTEP happened in the mid-1990's as the program grew solid reels and local guvemments became famil- iar with the ins and outs of cJI'/cLP. Ia the three years ~m 1994 through 1996, mom than 200 project applications were submit- ted, and many of the earliest projects were completed. UI'I~ was growing up and tal0ng on a lifo of its own. Some changes to the progsam wore made in 1998 with the p~ssagu of the TEA. 21 transportation bill, including direct allocation of funds to Montana's seven Indian tribal governments, but tho program had basically been astablishad and wa~ rolling in high gear. The Present and Futura Although MDT moved C~l'I:fl· from its Planning Division to the Engineering Division in late 2003, the form and function of the program have continued without significant change. New This landscaping project at a Red Lodge city park was one of CTEP's early endeavors. project applications have averaged about 35 per year for the past five years, with nearly $4.5 million spent annually on desigm construction, and admiais~ation of the prejacts. Although there' are twelve eligible categories for c~£/dP fends, more than 95 percent of all projects ia Montana have iacludad one or more of the "big four" categories: Pedestrian and Bicycle Faciliti~, Landscaping and Scenic Beautification, Historic Preservation, and Rehabilitation of Itiatodc Transportation Facilities. (For a complete list of the eligible categories, go to the MDT Wab site at http :/A~ww. rndt. state.mt.u~/ctep. ) While we all wish we could see into the future, we have not been given that giR. We occasionally get questions from local and aibal guverements about the future of url~P--and we can only respond that Congress is not considering any changes to tho federal transportatioa enhancement set-aside requirement, and Montana's Counmmity Transportation Enhancement Pro- gnun continu~ to have broad support at tho state, local, and tribal level. That said, L'I'/~;P is a fanmion of the Federsl-ald highway program funds Montana receives, and future federal program levels remain under debate ia Congress. For more information about ul'/~', contact Mike Wherley (~.~. ~. ~.221, mwherley@mt, gov) or Ross Tesve (~.~.~. 0209 rtervo@mt, gov), or visit the CI'ISP Web sim shown above. MDT Restores Dearborn River High Bridge The newly rehabilitated Dearborn River High Bridge spans a ford used for centuries by the Blackfeet and other tribes to reach the Great Plains to hunt buffalo. MDT recently completed msterution of one of thc state's most historic bridges. The Dcagoora River High Bridge, owned by Lewis and Clark County, is located about 18 miles southwest of Augusta on Bean Lake Road ia view of the scenic Rocky Mountain Front. Tbank~ to the efforts of MDT, the bridge was Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 in recognition of lis unique design and significance to the history of the Augusta area and bridge bnilding in the state. Built ia 1897, tbe Dearborn River High Bridge is the last surviving example of a pin-eunnected Pratt hail-deck truss bridge in the United States. The smactura is unusual in that the deck is attached about midway on the trusses instead of at the bottom or top as was common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The bridge's builder, the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, tailored the ~ design specifically to tbe Dearborn River Canyon. The bridge provided aecess to Augusta and the railroad at Wolf Creek for local farmers and ranchers. At a cost to the county of $9,000, tbe bridge proved to be a good investment in the continued economic prosperity of the area. This photo of the Dearborn River High Bridge, taken in July 2001, shows the old wooden plank deck. Because the bridge was built dur- ing horse and buggy days, it was probably designed to county bridge standards that specified a load limit of "one deadaxe wagon load of six ton&" Although the King Bridge Company built bridges through- out southwest Montana from 1892 to 1902, it was most active ia Lewis and Clark County and especially in the Augusta area. Research of the company's catalogs shows that this was the only bridge of this design built by the firm. The structure was built during the golden age of steel bridge-bnilding in Montana, from 1887 to 1915. After over a century of use, the bridge's masonry abutments and concrete foundations were badly deteriorated and needed to be replaced. The trusses also required repair, and the deck and guardrails needed upgrading to accommodate modern traffic. The bridge was, after all, designed and built for wagons, not automobiles and trucks. The Lewis and Clark County commissioners and MDT de- cided to rehabiLitate the bridge rather than replace it based on its traffic volumes and historic significance. H])R Engineering ia Missonia designed the project. The Great-Falls-based Sletten Construction Company was the prime eoutractor. To repair the bridge's foundation and abutments, Sletten used two cranes to lift the bridge offthe foundation and set it on the riverbank. The company replaced the old steel-encased con- Cranes lift the bridge from its foundations to place it on the river- bank where it will be repaired and painted. crete piem with modern rainforeed concrete piem that mimic the originals. It also removed the masonry abutments and replaced them with concrete abutments veneered in stone to appear as they did originally. Workers tightened the pin connections and straightened the truss members before hoisting the bridge back into place mad setting it on the new foundation. They also added new timber stringers, a ghilam deck, and modern guard, mils. The final phase of the makeover involved repaintnig the bridge Venetian Red, i~s original color in 1897. Lewis and Clark County and MDT have received consider- able anention and praise for this project. Visitors will find an interpretive marker commemorating the bridge at its northwest end. The bridge is located southwest of Augnsta. From Augusta, follow Montana Secondary Highway 435 southwest for approxi- mately 15 miles. The drive, one of Moutana's most scenic, par- allels the Rocky Mountain Front through fertile rangeland. At Bean Lake, the paved road turns to gravel; the bridge is approxi- mately two miles farther. You can also reach the bridge from Intersuate 15. At Wolf Creek, take Exit 226 and follow Montana Secondary 434 northward to the bridge, about 26 miles. For more information on the history Of the Dearborn River High Bridge, contact MI)T historian Joe Axline at 444-6258 or jaxline@mt, gov. For information on the technical aspects of this project, contact Bob Modrow of the MDT Bridge Bureau at 444-6261 or bmodrow@mt, gov. Jon Axline provided the historical information for this aracle, John Ascheman of MDT Engineering Information Services sup- plied the photographs, and Secondary Roads engineer Wayne Noem provided technical assistance. Pratt Half-Deck Truss Tl~is drawing shows the identifying Pratt tress wa., railroad and the first scientificall. fled ~ Bridge Terms Abutment - the main sup- port at the ands of the bddge. As part of the ms- tom'don, the contractor replaced old masonry abut- ments with concrete abut- ments veneered in stone. Truss - the horizontal, ver- tical, and diagonal mem- bers of a structure de- signed to hold large loads. Pier - a support between spans that usually looks like a column. These new piers are made of rein- forced concrete. Stxlngem - longitudinal mem- bers (in this case, timbers) gc- lng from truss member to truss member. The deck is placed on the stdngera. Pin Connection - a pin or bolt that connects the sections of a truss. Pins were used instead of dveta on many of Montana's early bridges. This was a sim- pier construction precsss that allowed sestem factories to easily prefabricate bridge com- portents. Deck - the driving surface of the bridge. For this project, workers replaced the old wooden plank deck (see photo at left) with a glulam deck--a strong, lightweight wooden structure made by gluing boards together on their wide faces with an all- weather adhesive. Foundation - the fooUn~s or pilings on which the piers and abutments are set. The foundation is not visible the above photo. Span - a section of the bddge between two supports. Newsline is a quarterly publication of the Rail, Transit and Planning Division, Montana Department of Transportation. 6,952 copies of this public document were published at an estimated cost of $0.373 per copy for a total of $2,595 which includes $745 for printing and $1,850 for distribution. Alternative accessible formats of this document will be provided upon request. For further information call (406)~.'~ .6331. The TrY amber is (406)444-7696 or (800)335-7592. MDT's mission is to serve the public by providing a transportation system and servtces that emphasize quality, safety, cost effectiveness, economic vitality and sensitivity to the environment. Roil, Transit & Planning Division Montana Department of Transportation 2701 Prospect Avenue P.O. Box 201001 Helena, Montana 59620-100~. 800-7~.4-7296 F- L, ,UREL Pre Sort Staadard U.S. Postage PAID Helena, MT Permit No. 141 HONORABLE JOHN E JOHNSON JR PO BOX 10 LAUREL, MT 59044-0010