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NEWS ADVISORY June 11, 2009 For immediate release HIGGINS AVENUE PROJECT BEGINS MONDAY Access to local businesses will remain open A new roundabout intersection on South Higgins Avenue where it meets Beckwith Avenue and Hill Street is only three months away. Work on the project will begin Monday, June 15, as crews begin setting up detours for through traffic on South Higgins between Strand Avenue and Plymouth Street. The detour will be fully in place Tuesday evening. Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians will still be able to patronize their local businesses, including the Grizzly Grocery shopping center, Great Harvest Bread Co. and the Dairy Queen. Federal economic stimulus money is funding the new intersection, which will clean up a long- standing traffic problem where Beckwith crosses Higgins Avenue at the triangle intersection of three major streets. It will also provide better neighborhood connections east and west from Mount Avenue to the University of Montana neighborhood. Safety and convenience will both improve. The Montana Department of Transportation is administering the project in coordination with the City of Missoula Public Works Department. Knife River is the contractor. Knife River crews will mark through-traffic detours for the project beginning Monday, as follows: Trucks and through traffic should use Brooks Street-Stephens Avenue-South Avenue to avoid the area. Southbound traffic should leave Higgins Avenue at Brooks Street. Northbound traffic should leave Higgins at South Avenue. Local traffic will use Plymouth Street-Park Street-Strand Avenue around the construction zone. Traffic will leave Higgins at Plymouth on the north end and at Strand on the south side of the zone. Drivers should pay special attention to a new stop sign in both directions at Mount Avenue and Park Street. Local businesses in the area will remain open, and traffic will be able to use Higgins Avenue. ---PAGE BREAK--- “We are working with the Department of Transportation to reduce the inconvenience, and we want everybody to remember the businesses are open,” said Public Works Director Steve King. “We’re working together to get this done as quickly and safely as possible to fix the traffic problem at the crossing at Higgins and Beckwith.” The project time frame is June 15 to Sept. 14. Missoula Police Department Patrol Captain Chris Odlin asks drivers to remember there will be a detour learning curve. Allow extra time and drive safely. Officers will work with the construction company and watch for places that may need to be changed for public safety. For problems with the detour, call project manager Glen Frost or project superintendent Wes Higgs at Knife River at 532-5250. For traffic problems, call Greg Amundsen at the Missoula Police Department at 552-6305. The Missoula City Council chose a roundabout for the intersection because roundabouts can move traffic volumes through the intersection with fewer and shorter delays than a conventional stop-and- go traffic signal. Modern roundabouts also reduce motor vehicle crashes. The Higgins-Hill-Beckwith roundabout will calm traffic and improve safety near Paxson School. For media interviews or questions, call: Steve King, Public Works Director, 552-6353 Gregg Wood, Project Development Coordinator, Public Works Department, 552-6093 Ginny Merriam, Public Information/Communications Officer, 552-6007 # ---PAGE BREAK--- RONAN ST HAZEL ST OAK ST INEZ ST COTTONWOOD ST REGENT ST OXFORD ST LESTER ST QUEEN ST BANCROFT ST THAMES ST RUSSELL ST PARK ST THAMES ST ARTHUR AVE PRINCE ST HELEN AVE RONALD AVE HICKORY ST E CROSBY ST S 6TH ST W S 4TH ST W W BECKWITH AVE E OPHIR CT S 5TH ST W S 4TH ST W W ADDISON ST S 2ND ST W S 3RD ST W MADISON ST HASTINGS DALY AVE S 6TH ST E UNIVERSITY AVE KEITH AVE EDDY AVE E KENT AVE EVANS AVE BEVERLY S 4TH ST E CONNELL AVE E CENTRAL AVE MCLEOD AVE E BECKWITH AVE S 5TH ST E DEARBORN AVE BENTON AVE FAIRVIEW AVE W CENTRAL AVE W SUSSEX AVE IVY ST BURLINGTON AVE LIVINGSTON AVE NORTH AVE W S ORANGE S MARY AVE ROLLINS ST BROOKS ST EDITH ST CLEVELAND ST WOODFORD AVE LONGSTAFF ST MARSHALL ST BLAINE ST PLYMOUTH ST K I W A N I S S T E STEPHENS AVE COLOMA CT FAIR WAY AGNES AVE E SUSSEX AVE WOODWOR BOW ST BURLINGTON AVE STRAND AVE KENSINGTON AVE U E E N S T S 1ST ST W S T E P H E N S A V E ND ST W FAIR WAY SSELL ST RIVERFRONT TRL E FLORENCE ST TREMONT ST GRANITE CT MAURICE AVE MAURICE AVE CINNABAR DR STRAND AVE YREKA CT JARDINE CT ROBAR CT RUSSELL ST LANDUSKY CT S 2ND ST W LAURIN CT PARDEE CT EMIGRANT CT MOUNT AVE HILL ST BROOKS ST CAMAS CT S HIGGINS AVE SOUTH AVE W KERN ST S PA CLA W BECKWITH AVE W STEPHENS AVE ROOSEVELT ST SOUTH AVE E KNOWLES ST W FRANKLIN ST W KENT AVE SA LI S H CT WALNUT ST NORTH AVE E OAK ST E HARLEM ST S CALIFORN H A R T M AN S T CHESTNUT S HILDA AVE FORD ST GERALD AVE HART ST E ADDISON ST S HIGGINS AVE LE VASSEUR ST RK DR HOLBORN ST E FRANKLIN ST W BICKFORD ST E BICKFORD ST LAWRENCE ST 500 ST ASH ST S CALIFORNIA ST DETOUR FOR THROUGH TRAFFIC AND TRUCKS DETOUR FOR THROUGH TRAFFIC AND TRUCKS LOCAL TRAFFIC DETOUR LOCAL TRAFFIC DETOUR LOCAL BUSINESS ACCESS WORK ZONE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC LOCAL BUSINESS ACCESS Sentinel High School Main Post Office Hellgate High School Loyola HS U of M - Gallagher Lewis & Clark Elementary Washington Middle School Paxson Elementary College of Tech - East Campus U of M - Miller Hall U of M - Patnzer Hall U of M - Curry Health Center Foursquare Academy U of M - Duniway Hall U of M - Elrod Hall U of M - Turner Hall U of M - Corbin Hall U of M - Brantly Hall U of M - Jesse Hall Willard Alternative School Legend Detour Routes - Trucks & Thru Traffic Detour Routes - Local Traffic Detour Routes - Local Business Access S HIGGINS AVE / HILL ST / BECKWITH AVE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT DETOUR ROUTES