U.S. 93 construction is poorly designed

Editor,

U.S. 93 is being constructed on a foundation of incompetence and deception. It started when the Salish and Kootenai Tribe held the citizens of Montana and United States hostage. The Tribe would not allow a simple four-lane highway between Evaro Hill and Polson, much like the one between Hamilton and Missoula.

That roadway has several stretches of five lanes of traffic. Our new 93 will still have an antiquated system of many three lane sections.

When the Sovereign Indian Nation met with the other Sovereign Nation, the good old US of A, many moons ago, they, the Indians, wanted a road constructed that would preserve their culture, so the birds and the wildlife would have natural crossings (called tunnels) to move from one side of the road to the other side (deer don't use tunnels).

Now we are in the throes of the convoluted highway project, known by the Indians as the "Peoples Highway."

U.S. Highway 93 is a north-south, federal highway that connects Canada and Mexico as it meanders through several states, and in no such case is it considered an Indian highway.

The State of Montana and the federal government should be ashamed for allowing this fiasco.

Many highways with the same or greater terrain complexities are being built in half the time. Why? Many states let contracts to road builders of enough significant size to get the job done in a timely manner. Montana is letting contracts to the equivalent of shade tree mechanics. Why? One possible reason is that unless you hire a significant number of Indians, they won't get the contract for the section of road they're bidding on. Kind of a hostage situation.

Another reason this road is taking so long is the fact that the State allows the contractor so much time to finish the project that they have instituted bankers' hours. The work should be on a 24-7 basis as we have a shortened work year.

The State Highway Department is also lowering the speed limit at the Indians' request on much of the highway that isn't under construction — recently around Elmo. Instead of bypassing some of these small towns, traffic will be forced to move at a snail's pace on a U.S. highway that is supposed to move traffic at a reasonable speed.

U.S. 93 is a major artery for Montanans and should never have been created as an Indian trail.

We would never allowed any other Sovereign Nation to place so many restrictions on the citizens of the United States.

Come on, Governor, let go of the leash and grab hold of the pendulum.

Wayne Schile

Polson