SKYLINE DRIVE: Residents raise safety concerns

POLSON — In the wake of the Skyline Drive Project being lauded as a success and a testament to the cooperation of agencies within Lake County, some Polson residents are still not happy with the final product.

Notes from the Aug. 27 construction meeting state, “Numerous Skyline Drive residents appeared primarily to voice their concern about the safety of the new Claffey Drive approach. It was stated by residents that it may not have been built according the original design and/or the new intersection is not safe.”

Melanie Buckless lives at 44 Claffey Drive and doesn’t believe the improvements made with the federal grant helped to make the approach with Skyline Drive safer.

Buckless said she has already had three near-accidents trying to pull out onto Skyline.

“There will be accidents there. It is just a matter of when,” Buckless said.

In her opinion, the outside radius wasn’t built properly, which prompted her to take action. She said her phone calls were ignored, so she wrote a letter to the Lake County Commissioners, which she said was also pushed aside.

“I believe they were under the gun and pushed me aside,” Buckless said.

Buckless said she thinks the rest of the road was well done and she likes the bike path.

Roland Godan with Lake County Community Development Corporation (LCCDC) said there is a perception that the turn is sharper than it is, when in fact the original approach was sharper.

“I believe the issue there is an optical illusion with the tall wall,” Godan said.

While he agreed drivers probably don’t like the approach because it lacks a point of reference and has suggested putting in fiberglass markers, Godan said the design was done to state and federal highway specifications.

As of press time Tuesday, neither of the two engineering firms for the project had returned requests for comment.

Godan said legally the case would have to be made against the construction engineering firm, which would cost money.

Another engineering firm would have to be hired to check the original work. As a citizen, the group is within their rights to hire another firm, but it’s a cost the complainer would have to bear, Godan said.

“Making arbitrary claims that, ‘Oh, it isn’t done right’ doesn’t cut it,” he said.

Nevertheless, Buckless and other residents met with County Commissioner Bill Barron, a meeting where Buckless claims Barron promised to correct the mistake.

“I had him sign a piece of paper saying that Lake County will fix it in the spring,” Buckless said.

Commissioner Barron said he promised the group that the County will look at the project in the spring after all of the grant paperwork has been finalized. He hopes it will be signed off on by February.

However, Barron said the design is safe.

“Nobody can argue that it’s not much better than it was before,” he said.

Barron said he can see where the County can help the situation for drivers, by dealing with the inside radius of the turn, without interfering with the integrity of the design.

“What it is, is it’s not comfortable for drivers,” Barron said.

It’s a smaller, tighter corner than most, Barron said, but drivers can see a far distance both ways. A school bus can make that turn both ways, he said.

The adjustments the County may make will hopefully make people feel more comfortable in that intersection, Barron said.

But the adjustments won’t be made until April at the soonest, so residents will have to make it through the winter with the road as is.

Buckless is worried more accidents will happen once the snow flies.

“So here we are S.O.L. and holding our breath that Bill Barron will keep his promise to fix this,” Buckless said.