Possibility of new underpass in Malta

If a grant proposal written by Malta’s Laura Pankratz is a successful one, the way people get to and across one of the busier intersections in Malta will be drastically changed.

Pankratz spoke during the new business portion of last Tuesday night’s Malta City Council meeting and said she was recently approached by Montana Department of Transportation’s (MDT) Shane Mintz and asked if she would be interested in writing a grant which, if awarded, could be tagged on to a bigger project on 191 South scheduled in the future.

Mintz, Glendive District Administrator, told the PCN that a major rehabilitation for the 191 South is tentatively scheduled to take place in the next four or five years — depending on funding — and would cover a total 9.4 miles.

“It is a project that has been in the hopper for a while and we don’t have a funding solution for it yet,” Mintz said. “There are a lot of variables there, and it could be sooner, and we have started the development and design of it.”

The project could potentially provide both a new walking path near 191, south of Malta, and see the construction of an underground tunnel for pedestrians near where South 12th Street East and 191/Central Avenue intersect at the bottom of Hill Crest.

“We want to see if we could change the way people cross the street to get to the pedestrian bridge down there and get connectivity to the Malta grade school from the golf course, the Marian Hills Subdivision and all the businesses out there,” Pankratz said.

Mintz said that he approached the Phillips County Commissioners as well as Pankratz and told them that no highway money could be used to fund a path or underpass, but added that Transportation Alternatives (TA) is currently available for such projects, though money and time are running out. (TA is the successor to the Treasure Statement Endowment Program (TSEP) grants.) Mintz said the competition for getting TA money is very tough, but added that Malta was one of the few areas in his district to receive funding for a project (the pedestrian bridge north of Malta on the Milk River.)

“Laura was instrumental in that project and that is why I contacted her for this project,” Mintz said. “Every community in my district would benefit so much from having someone like Laura Pankratz.”

Pankratz said that no matching monies from the City or the County would be required if the grant was awarded. Pankratz said that letters of support from the businesses along 191 South would need to be obtained and she was at the meeting to see if the City of Malta would be willing to work with Phillips County officials on the path and underpass project. The Mata City Council unanimously approved going forward and helping Pankratz at the County on the possible projects.

Pankratz, now the secretary of Malta Trails after years of being president, also talked with the Council about the trail at Riverview Park. Pankratz said that vehicles have been driving through an alley near the trail at the park and sometimes on the trail itself, and asked that bigger, stronger deterrents be installed there. The Council agreed. Pankratz said that funding through Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is available (which Malta Trails is a part of) and Malta Trails would like to extend a current trail in the park to reach the handicapped bathrooms and parking area. Three different plans were discussed, and the City Council members decided to support Pankratz's going after grant money to fund the biggest path (which would make the trail encompass the entire park.) The City Council unanimously approved a motion to support and provide matching dollars (or in-kind) for the full-trail proposal if there is money in the City's budget.

“You would not believe the number of people who use this place,” Mayor John Demarais said. “Just drive by there when it is nice out and you will be amazed at the number of people who take their kids over there.”

During Department reports, Public Works Director Jim Truelove said snow removal around the city continues and the snow is being dumped both behind the City Fire Hall and near the City Shop.

"And we have more weather coming in this weekend and we will haul it until it is gone," Director Truelove said (anywhere from 5" to 7" inches of snow would eventually fall by Monday morning on March 5.)

Director Truelove told the PCN after the meeting that the City Crew is dumping at least 30 loads of snow each day near the City Shop (see page 1A for a picture.)

"We have a lot of snow that we have hauled out there and it has filled the entire east end near the shop," he said.

Malta Parks and Rec's Natalie Judd told the Council that the youth and adult basketball programs have ended and were well attended. She said that a children's kickball league was scheduled to start on March 30, but was now not sure when the league would start because of the recent weather. Judd also told the council that Malta's Fallon Handley is currently teaching yoga classes, and the classes are well attended.