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Vol. 19, No. 18
January 18, 2023
Capitol pg. 5
Sports pg. 14
COURTESY PHOTO
MDT shares draft proposal for highway improvements along Ninepipe corridor By Taylor Davison / Valley Journal
Music pg. 18
CHARLO — The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), in collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) held informational meetings last week to share what may be the last draft of their feasibility findings for improving the Ninepipe corridor. This comes as part of an effort that MDT Project Manager Vicki Crnich says has been underway since 1996.
The MDT study is intended to evaluate the viability of the project preferences identified in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) conducted alongside the FHWA and CSKT back in 2008 to address traffic and safety concerns. The Ninepipe segment of U.S. Highway 93 passes through federal and tribal lands designated for wildlife management, environmental protection and cultural preservation. Protection of these uses must be considered before any project is decided upon.
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According to the MDT website, the SEIS was re-evaluated in 2016 for the Ronan-Urban segment of the corridor to confirm proposed design changes and project segmentation/ phasing. The Ninepipe segment was not addressed during the re-evaluation process. “Since completion of these previous efforts, MDT has proceeded to develop projects in stretches of U.S. Highway 93 adjacent to the Ninepipe segment and has encountered multiple challenges relating to constructability, imsee page 2