Old Highway 2 Road and Bridge meeting June 9

Old Highway 2 will be getting roadway improvements, from the junction with Highway 2 to the Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge. The public is invited to an open house on Tuesday, June 9th from 6-7:30 pm in the basement of the Phillips County Courthouse at 314 South 2nd Ave W. The project team will present project maps, construction information and answer questions.

Project Description

The Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is working in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), and Phillips County, Montana on the Old Highway 2 and Bridge Restoration project. Robert Peccia and Associates, based in Helena, will be assisting in the design. Construction is expected to occur in 2016.

The asphalt surface on Old Highway 2 has deteriorated. The road is very rough to drive and there are changing surface conditions and potholes. Improper drainage has caused road settling and in-creasing amounts of patch work by road crews. During inclement weather, low areas often collect rainwater and snow melt resulting in hazardous traveling conditions especially during winter months.

The project will:

• Refurbish and repave along the initial 3.5 miles of Old Highway 2 to the intersection of Bowdoin Road and install a chip seal on the remaining 2.3 mile section of Old Highway 2 leading to the headquarters of the Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

• Chip seal the entrance road into Bowdoin NWR (0.36 miles), the visitor center park-ing lot, and the Display Pond Trail (0.4 miles).

• Replace the Dodson South Canal Bridge with a concrete bridge (during construction a detour route will be established).

• Realign the intersection of Old Highway 2 and Highway 2.

• Improve drainage by replacing culverts.

• Stripe and sign the project limits.

Additional Project Information

The Old Highway 2 project was selected in the 2013 Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) Call for Projects. An application was submitted by Phillips County and FWS requesting FLAP funding. The goal of the FLAP is to improve transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within Federal lands. Eligible projects are selected based on consistency with long range transportation plans, and improvements to safety and mobility, among other factors. Local partners are required to provide a percent funds match.

Comments and questions can be addressed to Keith Wong, Project Manager, 360-619-7547, [email protected]; or Seth English-Young, Environmental Specialist, 360-619-7803, seth.english- [email protected]; Western Federal Lands, 610 E. 5th St, Vancouver, WA 98661.