Blood boils over recent 35 wreck

EAST SHORE — After another semi-truck crashed last Tuesday on Montana Highway 35, East Shore residents are left wondering what is going to happen with truck traffic along the two-lane highway.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I want to see trucks banned from 35,” Gary Erb, who lives near mile marker 5 on Hwy 35, said. “It’s an unrealistic goal, there’s too much economic impact for that to happen.”

The idea to close 35 to truck traffic has been going on since 1975, but the renewed effort came after an April 2008 gas tanker crash that spilled 6,000 gallons of fuel onto properties lining 35.

That crash was just over a mile from this latest accident, Erb said.

After listening to public comment, and conducting research of their own, the Montana Department of Transportation said Hwy 35 was capable of safely handling truck traffic and did not recommend closing the road to trucking traffic.

Since April 2008, MDT has increased signs, no-passing zones and increased guardrails along 35.

However, Erb said that isn’t helping.

“No passing zones just inhibit regular drivers. It’s hard enough to follow trucks in the summer, but in the winter when they’re kicking up snow and such, it’s impossible,” he said.

Guardrails were scheduled to be put in at the scene of the latest accident on 35, but had not yet been installed.

“I’m not happy with MDT. What little they’ve done hasn’t helped. They can do more, like banning pup-trailers along 35,” Erb said.

A pup-trailer is a short trailer that is on a single axle. Erb said it is difficult to regain control of pup-trailers once a driver loses control.

MDT Director Jim Lynch is holding an informational meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12 in Kalispell to discuss the problem of truck traffic along Highways 93 and 35.

“I just hope they don’t come to the solution of widening the highway,” Erb said. “That will just encourage more truck traffic and the problems will be the same.”