Construction teams assist first responders

LAKE COUNTY — With somewhat treacherous lines of cars stretching back both ways from the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge due to construction along U.S. Highway 93, one would wonder how an ambulance or fire truck could navigate the clutter on the way to an emergency.

Thanks to some vital networking between agencies and traffic control crews, and the use of webcam lookouts, traffic is running smoothly — especially for area police, firemen and ambulance personnel.

According to Jeff Hollenback, operations manager of Western Traffic Control, the webcam technology was put to use for the first time by his company, who he says had this project in mind with its traffic backup complications on the highway.

“We knew going into this project that Highway 93 traffic was so heavy that we would have to do whatever we could to get emergency vehicles through as fast and safely as possible,” Hollenback said.

The webcams are set up at traffic signal points with flaggers and at two other locations a ways in advance, viewing from a distance what is coming toward the bridge from both directions of traffic. The lookout cams are set up near Rocky Point to the north and at the KwaTaqNuk Resort to the south.

Hollenback added that the lookout cams help crews gage how far traffic is backed up, what is coming their way, and how to organize their approach when an emergency situation arrives and first responders are headed their way. The operations manager explained that when emergency vehicles appear on the cameras to be headed out of town or are so reported to be via radio scanners, crews will send traffic northbound across the bridge for a series of minutes to not interrupt any trailing first responders on their way to an accident scene.

Polson Fire Chief John Fairchild said the fire department and traffic control crews have a good network, sharing radio signals and channels to notify crew members of an accident or emergency situation as soon as firefighters receive a call. Fairchild said usage of the portable stoplight has also been helpful for assisting their vehicles to cross the bridge.

“They’re pretty Johnny on the spot when those sirens go off,” Fairchild said. “If the sirens don’t go off we know we may have a hold up, but when the sirens sound they drop everything to help us get across.”

Lake County Undersheriff Jay Doyle attributed little impact on his department from ongoing highway construction to communication and preparedness.

“When we heard there was going to be construction on the bridge we pre-planned and got bridge crew frequencies programmed into our patrol vehicles,” Doyle said. “So far it [construction] hasn’t affected us too badly.”

As far as construction impacts from highway work near the south side of the county and Arlee, Doyle reported that there have been no problems other than the occasional speeding violation which his department is watching closely for near the construction zones.

On the south end, Arlee Volunteer Fire Chief Jim Steele experienced helpful aid from construction crews last month when they came to the fire department’s side when a series of roadside fires broke out along the train tracks. Steele said that  nearby highway construction units sprung into action and lent firefighters their water tenders.

“They dropped everything to help, and help came from just about everywhere and it came at the right time,” Steele said.

 Bridge open two lanes Sunday

• Western Traffic Control Operations Manager Jeff Hollenback confirmed that Sunday morning is the tentatively planned time to have both lanes of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge open and fully operational for the summer months.

However, beginning on Sept. 8 paving of the southbound lane is set to commence which will slow traffic on the highway bridge for another estimated six week period.