In West Glacier, a busy intersection will see some work, but neighbors skeptical on effectiveness
CHRIS PETERSON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 2 months AGO
Chris Peterson is the editor of the Hungry Horse News. He covers Columbia Falls, the Canyon, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. All told, about 4 million acres of the best parts of the planet. He can be reached at editor@hungryhorsenews.com or 406-892-2151. | August 29, 2018 7:46 AM
The owners of a new RV park in West Glacier say they will put in several turn lanes at the River Bend Drive Intersection with the Going-to-the-Sun Road to ease traffic congestion there.
Pursuit vice president and general manager Ron Cadrette outlined the company’s plans at a meeting of the West Glacier Community Preservation Association last week.
In cooperation with the Montana Department of Transportation, the company this fall will put in right hand turning lanes to River Bend Drive off the Going-to-the-Sun Road. In addition, side street parking will be eliminated and a left-hand turn lane will be put on the Sun Road to River Bend, he said.
The he said the company was paying for the work at the intersection itself. It will shave off a portion of the lawn to the West Glacier Motel and part of the driveway to the West Glacier Restaurant.
Meanwhile, the company continues working on building its 102 recreational vehicle site and 25 rental cabins on a 178-acre forested tract of land just west of the main village site.
Cadrette said the first phase of the project will open in July of next year and the second phase in August.
Folks at the meeting expressed skepticism on how well the modifications to the River Bend-Sun Road intersection would work, namely that the left-hand turn lane was too short, only 50 feet.
They also had concerns about an evacuation in the event of an emergency, but Cadrette noted the company has been formulating and executing evacuation plans at its properties for decades and would have a plan for the RV park as well. During last year’s Kenow Fire, Cadrette noted, the company evacuated Prince of Wales Hotel without incident.
Still, many people felt a second egress from the park would be necessary at some point. Cadrette said the company looked at the cost of an overpass over the railroad tracks, but it was so expensive it would have killed the project.
One possible alternative would be to go out to Belton Stage Road, where there’s already any at-grade crossing, but that would require the company securing additional right-of-way, since the road is private.
Pursuit is the former Glacier Park Inc. It rebranded itself about a year ago, and still owns several resort properties both in and out of Glacier National Park, including most of the businesses in West Glacier.
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