After all the hoopla and celebration of new guardrails on east Mullan Road out of Superior next year, the brakes have been applied.

The proposed work includes installing guardrail and applying new edge lines with the purpose of addressing roadway departure crashes by enhancing safety features. There isn’t a record of when the current guardrail system was installed but it went from a need to repair to total replacement decades ago.

Montana Department of Transportation Traffic Project Engineer David Relph in Helena explained the issue. 

“The primary reason is that during the design process, we encountered a few issues with the fact that the slopes do not permit our standard guardrail procedure for installation. We’ve had to do some additional research for a guardrail system that will function with the steepness of the slopes.” 

He was on site recently and saw firsthand what raised a red flag. 

“I was taken aback at, A, how steep it was and, B, the condition of the existing guardrails are, if you want to call them that,” he said.

Relph also said that they did have some turnover within the department and had to swap project managers so he is relatively new and going through the information that his predecessor had left. Asked if the fiberoptic cable that was laid down along the same route last year is part of the worry and he stated that it shouldn’t be with the survey information that they have on it.

Some special equipment will be needed compared to most other guardrail jobs, but what will be installed will be a specific guardrail system. 

“Our standard guardrail is double beam guardrail that you see on most of our highways. This system, however, will be what we call thrie beam which is thicker and taller guardrail along with longer posts to prevent vehicles from diverting off of the roadway.” 

Missoula District Project Development Engineer Joel Boucher, echoed Relph’s explanation. 

“We found a new system to measure this and right now we’re working to make sure that there’s no additional technical work. Double checking what information we have for safety concerns. If there’s no additional geo-technical design work, we’re going to still try and push it out in 2027, but if there’s a lot of changes that have to be done, then that could lead to additional delays, meaning 2028.”

With everything that has happened, the Montana Department of Transportation is again inviting the public to comment on installing new guardrail for about 12 miles of Mullan Road East, south of Superior. The project begins at the intersection with River Street in Superior, and extends south, ending half a mile north of the intersection with Quartz Guard Station Road. 

Partnering with the community is an important part of properly planning for future projects. MDT welcomes the public to provide ideas and comments on the proposed project. 

Comments may be submitted online at mdt.mt.gov/contact/comment-form.aspx or in writing to Montana Department of Transportation, Missoula office, PO Box 7039, Missoula, MT 59807-7039. Please note that comments are for project UPN 10399000. For more information about active MDT projects around the state, visit their website and five-year Tentative Construction Plan.

“We understand the concerns that residents have for Mullan Road, and we are hoping to address that with the new guardrail as quickly as we can possibly do it,” said Relph.