Tester secures $25M for infrastructure development in Kalispell
Funding comes from the Senator’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from the office of Senator Tester
U.S. Senate — On Dec. 16 U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that he had secured $25 million for the City of Kalispell to upgrade and expand transportation infrastructure in order to support economic growth and increase public safety. This funding will come from the Rural Surface Transportation Grant program, which was created as part of the Senator’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Tester negotiated the IIJA and helped pass it into law last year, and he was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to support it.
“A strong economy starts with safe and reliable infrastructure.” Tester said. “Top-notch roads, bridges, and highways improve connectivity and prevent the supply chain disruptions that put a real hurt on working families and small business owners. I am proud to have secured this funding for the City of Kalispell to expand critical transportation infrastructure, boost the local economy, and create good-paying Montana jobs – all while keeping folks in the community safe.”
After meeting with Kalispell and Flathead County leaders in May, Tester sent a letter to the Department of Transportation in support of the city’s application for Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program funding. The DOT Rural program will be funded at $2 billion dollars over five years to support projects that increase connectivity, improve transportation safety and reliability, generate regional economic growth, and improve quality of life.
In his letter, Tester specifically supported the project’s plans to:
1. Widen the West Reserve Road from three to five lanes
2. Widen Stillwater Bridge to be consistent with the roadway
3. Add landscape boulevards with a shared use path on the north and sidewalks on the south for separated pedestrian and bicycle mobility safety
4. Make intersection improvements to Hutton Ranch Road and Whitefish Stage Road, including using concrete instead of asphalt to improve longevity of the project
5. Make construction improvements to Whitefish Stage Road north and south of the intersection to bring to urban standards.
