City council declines to endorse reopening 4 for 2

The Havre City Council voted unanimously Monday night to reject a request to sign onto a letter asking the federal government to revisit a decision denying a request to expand  a section of U.S. Highway 2 to four lanes.

Highway 2 Association president and former state Rep. Bob Sivertsen told the council Monday that he wants the meeting with Montana Department of Transportation Director Mike Tooley to discuss revisiting a 2004 Environmental Impact Statement.

The EIS returned a federal decision to build an improved two-lane with passing and turning lanes between Havre and Fort Belknap rather than a four-lane highway desired by Sivertsen and others.

Chinook City Clerk Carol Floren said today that the Chinook City Council voted 3-1 Monday to reject Sivertsen’s request.

A representative of the city of Harlem said Mayor Bill Taylor signed the letter.

The Chippewa Cree Business Committee of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation voted 5-3 to sign the letter.

Sivertsen had said both the Blaine and Hill County Comissioners endorsed the letter.

Hill County Comissioner Mike Wendland said this morning he did not remember receiving such a letter.

The Blaine County Commissioners were in a meeting this morning and could not be reached for comment before print deadline.

Sivertsen told the Havre City Council during its meeting Monday that unless the state could be persuaded to either amend or repeal the EIS, the region will face limits on its economic development.

Sivertsen said businesses are more likely to locate in or near communities with a highway that has four lanes or more, and that a majority of people along the portion of highway that would be affected support it.

For decades many along the corridor have advocated that the state expand the highway to four lanes.

In 2001, the Montana Legislature approved a bill by Sen. Sam Kitzenberg, R-Glasgow, to direct MDT to widen the highway to four lanes across the entire state.

Sivertsen than resurrected the Highway 2 Association to champion the expansion.

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., secured funds to conduct an EIS between Havre and Fort Belknap supporters hoped would result in a four-lane configuration. However, the EIS instead recommended in 2004 an improved two-lane highway.

Council members said Monday that while they would favor a four-lane highway, there is no new evidence to suggest that if a new EIS was conducted there would be a different finding.

Terry Lilletvedt asked if a new EIS would prevent current construction projects along Highway 2 from going forward.

“Once it’s open (and) they are going to revisit it they have to put the thing on hold until they do a study to move forward,” Mayor Tim Solomon said.

Solomon said MDT has a five-year plan regarding which highway projects will be funded. If MDT decided to conduct a new EIS, the project would lose its place on the list and with it federal funding until the future of the project is determined.

“That is what happened last time they did it, is they take it back off and it has to come back onto their list of projects,” Solomon said.

Sivertsen said he points out in the letter to Tooley that he wanted city council to endorse that Federal Highway Administration must revisit the EIS if there was information that was not considered during the study, or if new information was provided. Council member Caleb Hutchins said he did not see any new information that would make for a different outcome.

Hutchins said that if it was likely a new EIS would recommend a four lane he would endorse such a move, but he hasn’t seen any evidence that would suggest a different conclusion would be reached by a new study and the process would only again delay the current project.

“You keep saying you have additional information that would change the results of the EiS, but what is that additional information that you think would change the balance?” Hutchins asked.

Sivertsen said he sent eight pages of information to the mayor and council, but Council President Andrew Brekke later said despite requests from him and promises by Sivertsen for additional information, no  information was received.

Sivertsen said a new study is needed.

“I don’t know how MDT will rule on this, but they have some options we can pursue. We are not wanting to delay any projects in this area and from my perspective,” Sivertsen said.

He said, however, that in the end, whether to conduct a new EIS would be up to MDT.