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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMDT - Billings BypassBILLINGS BYPASS ElS Be Part of the Planning Process Contribute Your Ideas for a Billings North Bypass Open House Public Meeting Wednesday April 26, 2006 Skyview High School Commons 1775 High Sierra, Billings 6:30 - 9:00 PM Presentation at 7:00 PM You are invited to an open house public meeting to discuss the potential development of a bypass route north of Billings. The project team will present an overview of the project and gather information and comments from you. Your ideas and concerns will ben'used-to dc-ce, top conceptual alternatives for the bypass. Please plan to attend this meeting and be a part of the plann!.ng proc~s. Project History The Billings North Bypass Feasibility Study, which was completed in 2001, used a five-mile wide corridor north of Billings as the area within which to assess the economic and engineering feasibility of a bypass. The study concluded that the bypass was feasible and recommended continued project development including a location study and preparation of an appropriate environmental document. This EIS project is the next step towards determining a specific alignment for the proposed bypass. Contact Information: Primary Contact: ElS Coordinator: Brace Barrett, MDT Laura Meyer, DEA 424 Mercy St. 1331 17th Street, Suite 900 Billings, MT 59104 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 406-252-4138 Phone: 720-946-0969 Fax: 406-256-6487 Fax: 720-946-0973 bbarrett~mt.gov llhu~deainc.com Billings Bypass Study Kicks Off! The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) invites the public to participate in planning and evaluation of a potential northern bypass to Billings. The project study area includes an approximately five-mile wide study corridor north of Billings between 1-94 and MT 3 (see map on reverse). MDT will be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to identify and evaluate options for developing the bypass within this corridor. The bypass is proposed to provide alternative access through the north Billings area and would become part of the Camino-Real International Trade Route connecting Canada to Mexico. MDT has selected a consultant team to perform the analysis, identify improvements and prepare the ElS document. This team is led by David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA), along with HKM Engineering, Inc. and Marvin and Associates. - --- Camino-Real International Trade Route Want to find out more? · Attend the April 26th public meeting. · Visit the project website at www. billingsbypass.com to learn more about the project and to submit your comments to the project team. · Get on the project mailing list. Contact Suzanne Savage at 720-946-0969 or srsa~deainc.com with your name and mailing address. Periodic newsletters will be distributed throughout the EIS process. Montana Department of Transportation - Billings Bypass Project Location Brace Barrett, Montana Department of Transportation District 5 424 Morey St. Billings, MT 59104-0437 USPOSTAGE $ O0.39 Mailed ':-rom 8020? ~14¢'13/2006 __ 031A 0002306005 Ken Olson City of Laurel PO Box 10 'Laurel, MT 59044 BII..UNG$ ~(PASS ElS Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan Hazard Elimination Program Application Each city or county should submit one application per intersection or high-hazard location (up to five) to be considered for funding along with a copy of the safety priority list for their jurisdiction. Send to: Safety Management Section Montana Department of Transportation P.O. Box 201001 Helena, MT 59620-1001 1. City, county, or mad agency 2. Contact person (name, address, and phone number): 3. Location description for intersection or hazard area Collision diagram of investigated accidents a. Type (pedestrian, angle, rear-end, other, etc.) b. Severity (fatal, injury, or property damage) 5. Time period for the data: from tO (date) (date) Average daily traffic volume: Accident trend and countermeasures a. Identified accidenttrends b. Corrective measures proposed to address the accident trends Proposed improvements a. Improvement to be considered and a sketch of the improvement b. Cost estimate for the improvement *** Please attach a diagram and analysis to the application.*** What is the Hazard Elimination Program? The Hazard Elimination Program is an element of the Montana Department of Transportation Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan that funds safety improvements at high-hazard accident locations. Some examples of the types of projects addressed with these funds are signin~ striping, delineation, guardrail installation, slope flattening, and roadway realignment. Who manages the program? MDT's Safety Management Section annually reviews investigated accidents of rec~ord and sites submitted by local agencies in order to develop a priority list of locations that could participate in this program. Where does the money come from? Ninety percent of the money for safety improvements at these locations comes from the federal government (Highway Trust Fund). Ten percent comes from the state or local governments. Who is eligible? To be eligible, a city or county must regularly report accidents to the Montana Highway Patrol for recording in the Transportation Information System. The proposed improvement must not be a maintenance function. What is the goal of the Hazard Elimination Program? The goal of the Safety Management System and the Hazard Elimination Program is to reduce the number and severity of cr-~ Monta~a-roadways~ -- How are high-hazard locations identified? High-hazard locations are identified by accident trends based on the number of crashes, accident rates, severity of crashes, or a combination of these factors. How many locations can local road agencies submit from each city or county?, Applicants may submit up to five locations annually. These sites will be included in the overall statawide ranking and priority listing. What information should we submit with the application? You will need to include a safety priority list, accident analysis, traffic information, and proposed improvements. (See the application on the back of this page.) What is the review and approval process? After MDT receives all the applications from participating cities or counties, the Safety Management Section develops a list of priorities according to a benefit/cost ratio. Next, we develop a program for improvement subject to availability of funds and a benefit/cost ratio greater than 1.0. The Transportation Commission approves the list of safety improvement projects with the highest benefit/cost ratios. Where should we send the application? Safety Management Section Montana Department of Transportation P.O. Box 201001 Helena, MT 59620-1001 (406)444-6113 What is the deadline for submitting applications? June 30, 2006