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Project Overview

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), in partnership with engineering firm WGM Group, is advancing the design of a project that will reconstruct Montana Highway 35 (MT 35) just north of Bigfork in Flathead County.

The Ice Box Canyon project begins just south of the intersection with Peaceful Drive at mile marker 32.1 and extends north through Ice Box Canyon to just north of Chapman Hill Road at mile marker 33.3.

As development and traffic continue to increase in this area, the project aims to enhance safety, improve traffic flow, and upgrade drainage throughout the corridor.

Improvements include:

  • Widening travel lanes to 12 feet in each direction.
  • Installing curb and gutter from just south of Peaceful Drive through Ice Box Canyon.
  • Adding 8-foot-wide paved shoulders north of Ice Box Canyon.
  • Constructing a raised median barrier through Ice Box Canyon to address head-on crashes in this area.
  • Installing a center two-way left-turn lane from south of Peaceful Drive to Branding Iron Station.
  • Adding a dedicated northbound left-turn lane on MT 35 at Chapman Hill Road.
  • Adding a dedicated southbound left-turn lane on MT 35 at Bear Hollow Drive.
  • Improving the road’s horizontal curvature and roadside clear zones.
  • Upgrading drainage features throughout the project.
  • Constructing a 10-foot-wide shared-use path:
    • On both the east and west sides of MT 35 from south of Peaceful Drive to approximately Branding Iron Station.
    • From Branding Iron Station to Chapman Hill Road, a shared-use path may be added on the east side of MT 35 if a long-term maintenance funding solution is identified.

The project will require right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation.

Turn Lane at Bear Hollow Drive

The project design is being updated to add a southbound left-turn lane at Bear Hollow Drive. The addition of this lane is a direct result of community feedback received during multiple project public involvement opportunities. In response to those requests, the project team completed a traffic engineering analysis that supported adding this turn lane to enhance motorists’ safety.

Storm Water Drainage Solution

In conjunction with the Ice Box Canyon project, the team is also developing a stormwater drainage solution for the area south of the Ice Box Canyon project limits. Following extensive analysis, a new Storm Drain Trunk Line has been identified as the preferred solution to convey pre-treated stormwater to Flathead Lake. This infrastructure will not only address existing drainage needs but also support future planned corridor highway improvements.

Current Project Activity

As design work continues on the Ice Box Canyon project and the stormwater drainage project to the south, travelers may notice surveyors and engineers working along the roadside. These field activities are underway to help gather the information needed to finalize the project design.

A construction date for both projects has not yet been determined.

Map showing the location and limits of the Ice Box Canyon Rural Reconstruction project along Montana Highway 35 in Bigfork, Montana. The project area is shown in orange along MT 35 between the MT 35/MT 83 area to the north and the storm drain trunk line project area to the south. The storm drain trunk line project is shown in blue and extends south along MT 35 toward Flathead Lake. Nearby roads shown on the map include Chapman Hill Road, Peaceful Drive, Holt Drive, and Grand Drive. Flathead Lake is located south and west of the project area.
Project location map for the Ice Box Canyon Rural Reconstruction project and associated Storm Drain Trunk Line project along Montana Highway 35 in Bigfork, Montana. The Ice Box Canyon project is shown in orange, and the Storm Drain Trunk Line project is shown in blue.

UPN 8182000