MDT to enhance safety, access in Whitehall

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), in partnership with Helena Sand and Gravel, White Resources Group and Stahly Engineering, is updating sidewalk corners and non-compliant mid-block sidewalk sections throughout the Town of Whitehall. Improvements to sidewalk corners will allow all users to get on and off sidewalks with more ease. Updates will include new curb ramps and wider sidewalk openings at intersections.

Additionally, a textured ground surface intended to alert users with impaired vision that they are approaching a roadway will be installed. These improvements will bring sidewalk access into compliance with the revised Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and allow greater accessibility for all users.

The ultimate goal of the project is to provide equal access to employment, health care, education and other services that are commonly accessible via town streets. Additionally, commuters on foot, users with limited mobility and users with strollers, walkers and other wheeled devices will be able to use the sidewalk approaches with more ease. Users will enjoy more walkable sidewalks once the upgrades have been made.

ADA improvements will be installed on these streets in Whitehall:

• Legion Avenue, between Bowman Lane and B Street

• N Whitehall Street, between Legion Avenue and I-90

In total, 48 sidewalk corners in Whitehall will be updated with ramps, 11 approaches will be installed, and 9 sidewalks will be improved to make Whitehall more accessible.

Improvements like these are part of an ongoing effort by the MDT's ADA Transition plan to improve access and safety for all Montanans in communities around the state, especially in those areas where it can be difficult.

"Minimizing impacts for both motorized and non-motorized traffic is top priority; we're committed to working as efficiently as possible throughout the process," said Bill Fogarty, Montana Department of Transportation's Butte District Administrator. "We've been able to streamline the work so it will take about seven weeks total to complete work on Whitehall Street and Legion Avenue, as long as we don't run into serious cold or wet weather."  

Updates to curb ramps in Whitehall as part of the Butte District ADA Upgrades are funded using a combination of federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds and state fuel tax dollars. Landowners adjacent to these project locations are not liable for any direct costs associated with the improvements.

Crews arrived in Whitehall last week for prep work. The ADA improvement work is scheduled to begin on June 8 and is expected to last approximately 7 weeks. Crews will start on the west end of Legion Avenue and move east. Once Legion is complete, they will move to Whitehall Street.

However, construction schedules are extremely dynamic and weather dependent. Members of the public are encouraged to sign-up for regular construction updates this by texting "whitehallada" to 555-888 or emailing melissas@strategies360.com.

To learn more about visit the project website at: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/whitehallada/

The Montana Department of Transportation together with its construction contracting partners continue to take the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously. Construction projects on Montana's roads and bridges are considered an "essential" operation and will continue moving forward as scheduled in 2020. Construction workers will continue several measures to help keep employees, contractors and the public safe during the construction season. Some of the measures include following social distancing and good hygiene guidelines, and not reporting to work if showing symptoms of illness. For more information visit https://covid19.mt.gov/