The groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the U.S. 93 Alternate Route project featured speakers from around the state, praising the work accomplished on the highway during the last 25 years as well as the final work that begins Monday.

The ceremony took place on a lot southeast of Glacier High School to kick off the 4.5-mile, $33.8 million project that will complete the west-side bypass.

“This is a moment in time that’s important for the community, but it’s great to see this project coming to culmination,” Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson said. “Looking back, our community has overcome many obstacles in the past 25 years to make this project happen. There’s been acquisitions to negotiate and complete, design and engineering issues to overcome, and funding to secure. We’re finally here today to see the results of those efforts.”

Johnson lauded the efforts of Montana Department of Transportation District 1 Director Ed Toavs.

“You’ve been a champion for the community to make sure this project happens,” Johnson said. “This will be the most transformational event to happen to our community since the railroad gave birth to our town in 1892.”

Former Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher said during her time as mayor, the project began to look as if it might not reach completion. She thanked the Montana Highway Commission, which listened to Kalispell representatives including Fisher, for making the project a priority. She also recognized LHC Inc. for taking on the project.

“As all taxpayers we should be proud of where our taxes are going,” Fisher said. “They’re putting it to good use and good work. I’m incredibly proud that.”

Flathead County Commissioner Gary Krueger said an important component to reaching the final phase of the project was forethought to recognize the need for infrastructure and the resolve to secure funding.

“This isn’t the last project we’ll have — we’re going to need more infrastructure in Flathead County,” Krueger said. “We have the companies in the Flathead that are able to bid on these projects, because we are a growing community. That’s the real beauty of this project: It’s had forethought, funding, a great group of people working on it for many years.”

Montana Department of Transportation Director Mike Tooley praised the project for moving forward.

“The weather is a little gloomy today but it’s a bright day for Kalispell and the Flathead Valley,” Tooley said.

Tooley said the bypass is the largest project in the highway department’s history. Tooley, who was appointed as director of the department by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in 2013, noted that Kalispell is the only city of its size that’s not supported by a major interstate highway. He knew the infrastructure was needed for Kalispell’s traffic issues, Tooley said, after Toavs presented the vision of the final bypass project.

“Successful economies begin and end with infrastructure,” Tooley said. “And that means jobs here.”

Don Brummel, project manager at LHC, said 150 people will be at work on the project once construction is at full swing.

Tooley read a letter from Bullock declaring the bypass project as an example of critical infrastructure projects needed across the state for Montana businesses to compete and transport products throughout the region.

Virginia Loranger, regional director for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, read a letter from Tester vowing to continue fighting for highway funding. Kyle Schmauch, regional representative for U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, congratulated local officials and LHC on proceeding with the project in a letter from Daines.

Evan Wilson, representative for U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, pointed to the 6,500 miles of highway work in Montana during the last 15 years as proof that federal funding is the lifeblood of transportation projects in Montana. Zinke’s letter said he hopes legislators will be able to agree on funding measures in the near future.

Brummel said he’s looking forward to the work-start date on Monday after the first public information meeting on Tuesday night at Glacier High School.

“Several people showed up and there were a lot of good, engaging questions,” Brummel said. “It’s good to see that interest from the public.”

Brummel said he’s glad the project has been approached with a team effort by the city, state and contractors involved.

Construction begins on Monday with earthwork to simultaneously build bridges on U.S. 2 and Old Reserve Drive. The next public information meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Oct. 16 at Glacier High School.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.