GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Transportation hosted an open house at West Elementary School for a proposed roundabout that would connect Watson Coulee Road and Vaughn Road in Great Falls.
"The project started out as a reconstruction project, but the more we got into it, we noticed that the functionality of the intersection of on Vaughn Road and Watson Coulee Road needed some work. So the roundabout seemed to be the best option," said Andrew Finch, transportation planner for the City of Great Falls.
Watch the video here:
J.R. Taylor, Consultant Design Project Manager for MDT, explained how the roundabout would improve traffic flow in the growing area.
"It should help traffic move through that intersection more freely. And especially as we have heard a lot of feedback on how much that area is growing and then that in an area to the west. And that'll help as that traffic continues to increase," Taylor said.
Taylor says the proposed roundabout will also include enhanced pedestrian access and upgraded ADA facilities, making it more accessible for all community members.
Andrew Finch emphasized the importance of community input during the open house.
"We need to know what people are thinking. We need them to know what we're thinking. Why are we doing this? What are the goals? What are the objectives? What's the win win here? And so we want people who have questions to come out and talk to us. We're an open book. We're not hiding anything. We'd love to know what people think about it," Finch said.
MDT officials say there are many more steps required to get approval for construction. If the roundabout project receives approval, construction would begin sometime in 2028 at a cost of just under $6 million.
For more information, click here to visit the MDT website.
