USA: Plan speeds malting plant turnoff

In the wake of February's double-fatality crash, the Montana Department of Transportation decided it's better to act sooner rather than wait until 2009 to create a turning lane to the International Malting Co. plant north of Great Falls, The Great Falls Tribune posted on May 02.

Fourteen people from the transportation department, Cascade County and the City of Great Falls agreed on May 01 to share the work and expense of widening the road for a nearly 300-foot stretch leading to the malting plant turnoff.

Eventually, Highway 87 will be widened to four or five lanes from the city limits past mile marker 4. The $1.3 million project is part of a 2006 Appropriations Bill, but that work realistically wouldn't begin until 2009.

Two women died in a head-on crash Feb. 6, when one vehicle pulled out to pass a vehicle turning onto the gravel road to the plant.

Chouteau and Cascade county commissioners went to Helena in April to convince the transportation department to speed up the process. While the project couldn't be put on the fast track, wheels began turning on a temporary solution.

"We were hoping to accelerate the process," Cascade County Commission Chairwoman Peggy Beltrone said. "But this is four months. This is great."

The plan is to fill a ditch with gravel and widen the road by 12 feet, creating an easy turn so drivers won't have to slow down much. The traffic behind them may have to slow a little bit but will have a middle lane to use to get around the turning vehicles.

"We didn't want to just put up a couple signs and say that's all we can do," said Danielle Owen with the transportation department.

Mark Black, the malting plant's barley byproduct manager, said that between 12 and 18 trucks bring grain to the plant daily. But in addition, employees, delivery trucks with mail and equipment and farmers with grain samples add to the traffic.

Department of Transportation engineer Steve Prinzing said on average 3,815 vehicles travel Highway 87 by the plant each day.

He said construction on the third lane could begin in the fall.

The biggest delay and expense is moving three or four power poles. Project organizers estimate the work could cost $30,000, which can be charged to the future project.

Dave Kelly, maintenance manager for the Department of Transportation in Great Falls, hopes to have crews and materials in place so construction can start as soon as NorthWestern Energy moves the poles.

Cascade County agreed to supply gravel from nearby projects to help build up the road and may contribute equipment for the work. The transportation department will provide crews and handle signs and striping. The city will do the paving.

The parties are looking at splitting the costs of the paving materials and hope to get help from the malting plant.

The malting plant has some piping, gravel and other materials on site that could be used for the project. Whether they will contribute money hasn't been determined.

"It's nice to have your support of the plant," Black said to representatives of the three agencies Monday. "The effort to work together will make it safer."

"I want a picture of this one," Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs joked. "City, county and state trucks all working on the same job — that's unheard of."

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .