The Whitefish City Council directed staff last week to apply for a federal grant to help fund a proposed reroute of Big Mountain Road and a roundabout at its intersection with East Lakeshore Drive.

Arthur Donnelly from Conti Partners, along with WGM Group engineers Mike Brodie and Steven McDaniel, have been working on the proposed project with the city for about a year. 

Relocating Big Mountain Road approximately 350 to the east would give better sight lines and, according to the staff report, improve safety for all intersection users. 

“This would reroute the Big Mountain Road to a straight point in the curve,” Brodie said. “Right now, that intersection is actually in the curve, which I'm sure you all do the look over your shoulder as you're trying to get out, to make that left ... but this would align the intersection at a perpendicular location on East Lakeshore Drive. The roundabout would then be at that intersection.” 

The lower section of Big Mountain Road runs through private property owned by Conti Partners. In addition to making the intersection safer, the road shift would allow the landowner to consolidate their holdings. 

In 2022, WGM developed plans for a roundabout at the intersection and conducted a traffic impact study. They found the proposed roundabout would improve intersection operations, reduce delays and accommodate future traffic demand. 

“In transportation engineering or traffic engineering, it's level of service. A is good, F is bad,” McDaniel said of the proposed roundabout. “We're looking at increasing from a C-F to an A-B.” 

Proponents of the plan said the project will improve traffic operations, safety and emergency response. The northeast corner of the proposed intersection is also the site of the proposed second fire station. 

Councilor Rebecca Norton asked about a traffic light rather than a roundabout. 

“If you ever come up on a light in the middle of the day when traffic might be in a little bit of a lull, and you stop, and you're wondering why you stop, at a roundabout, you wouldn't stop. You would go through it,” McDaniel said. “One of the advantages of a roundabout is it handles that peak ski season well, and it also handles the off-peak well. It's the right-sized intersection control from a level of service standpoint. It fits where your traffic is better than a signal.” 

The roundabout plan is already 30% complete as WGM has been working with the Montana Department of Transportation on the proposal. 

“It's a state highway, first off, so we've had to go through the state, work on design,” Donnelly said. “As a private developer, we don't have the ability to ask for those funds that are out there, either federal or state funding.” 

He said the idea is to partner with the city of Whitefish and use its municipality designation to apply for the grants. 

A federal community project funding program is in place to address significant infrastructure needs and is being considered for the Big Mountain Road project, which has an estimated price tag of between $4.5 and $6 million. 

McDaniel said community project funds typically use a standard federal-local share, which is 87% federal and 13% local. It is possible that the state would contribute to the local share. 

The city would apply for the grant in the spring. Should the grant be awarded, the project could be constructed in 2028. 

“I've long thought ... the intersection needs to be moved to the east. [And] the roundabout is the only real solution there,” Councilor Andy Feury said. “I would certainly support applying for the grant. The traffic part of it is something we need to deal with today.” 

Whitefish City Manager Dana Meeker said the only cost to the city for applying for a federal grant is the cost of a federal audit, about $8,000. 

The Council will hold a public hearing for the grant application. 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.

    A map showing the proposed relocation of Big Mountain Road and a roundabout at its intersection with East lakeshore Drive. (Image provided)