The Montana Department of Transportation is starting a pavement preservation project this month.

The Great Falls South-Urban project begins on 13th Street South by Fields Road, continues west at the intersection with 55th Avenue South, and extends north 3.7 miles on Lower River Road, ending near Overlook Drive.

Construction is expected to begin April 15, but delays in the project are possible due to COVD-19.

Work will start from 13th Street South by Fields Road. Travel on 13th Street will be limited to one lane.

On April 20, work will start on Lower River Road between Overlook Lane and 55th Avenue.

MDT currently anticipates construction will be complete by August 2020.

“MDT will use pavement preservation techniques to keep these good roads in good condition for years to come and will install guardrail in key areas,” according to the project overview.

The majority of the work will be done between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

For this project, MDT is using an overlay, applying pavement to the current roadway.

Drivers can expect one-lane travel controlled by a portable traffic signal to direct traffic and delays of up to 15 minutes might occur in the project area, according to MDT.

Since most of this work must be performed in warm and dry work conditions, this project is highly influenced by weather and delays in schedule could occur, according to MDT.

Stay up to date on how the project is progressing is via the weekly update. To sign up:

• Email: Contact Takami via email to subscribe.
• SMS Text: Text “PAVEGF” to 41411 to subscribe*
• Project Hotline: 406-207-4484 during business hours.

According to MDT, “preventative maintenance, known as ‘pavement preservation’” helps ensure that good roads remain good, and don’t fall into poor condition. Roads in truly bad shape require a lot more money, time and resources to fix up. Pavement preservation keeps more Montana roads from falling into serious disrepair. That means preventative maintenance keeps Montana drivers from experiencing major road construction, which has more delays, detours and longer timelines to complete work.

Instead of waiting until a road deteriorates to the point where it would require millions of dollars to repair, resulting in lengthy traffic disruptions that could extend for an entire summer or more, pavement preservation extends the life of those roads with minimal investment and disruptions. In this way, the Montana Department of Transportation helps Montana roadways remain beautiful, safe, effective, and economical.”