New speed limit proposed for Swan highway

The nighttime speed limit of 55 could be going away for Montana Highway 83.

The Montana Department of Transporation Commission will consider changing the nighttime speed limit on the highway when it meets Sept. 26 in Helena.

In 2009, the state reduced the nighttime speed limit from 65 to 55 along the Montana 83 corridor stretching from Montana 35 in Bigfork to Montana 200 at Clearwater Junction. The reduction was approved based on first-hand observations and a review of animal-related conflicts. The highway is well known for deer/vehicle collisions.

Voluntary compliance with the 55 mph speed limit is minimal, according to a report from Danielle Bolan, MDOT traffic operations engineer. That information is based on automated traffic counters that recorded travel speed in 2009 and 2012.

There were 194 crashes on the highway over a three-year period from 2009 to 2012. Fifty-four occurred at night, which represents 27.8 percent of the crashes. That is five percent less than the state average of rural nighttime crashes. Animal conflicts were a contributing factor in 65 of the crashes, or 33.5 percent. That is seven percent above the state average for primary rural state highways.

Prior to the commission’s approval of the interim 55 mph nighttime speed limit in 2009, MDT’s Chief Operations Officer Dwane Kailey said a study that state agency did from 2005 to 2007 showed that 231 crashes occurred over that period when the nightime speed limit was 65 mph.

According to the minutes from the Transportation Commission’s Jan. 29, 2009, meeting, Commissioner Kevin Howlett said “at night that area is a nightmare — you don’t want to drive it higher than 55 mph.”

At that same meeting, Commissioner Rick Griffith said he had changed his driving habits so he wasn’t driving at night on Highway 83. “It’s like dodge ball on that road,” he said.

“If you’re going to drive the Swan at night at 70 mph and you don’t hit a deer, go buy a lottery ticket; you are extremely lucky,” State Transportation Director Jim Lynch said.

“From our investigation traffic operation does not support validating the interim nighttime 55 mph speed limit,” Bolan said in the recent report. “Many of the conflicts experienced along this corridor do not differentiate between daytime and nighttime hours. The information gathered does not clearly support the reduction in the statutory 65 mph speed limit established by the Legislature.”

The report concluded that “traffic operation within the corridor supports reinstating the statutory 65 mph speed limit in those areas having a daytime speed limit of 70 mph.”

Transportation Commission Secretary Lori Ryan said the public is welcome to submit comments about the nighttime speed limit for commissioners’ consideration.

Send comments to: MDOT, Attn: Lori Ryan, P.O. Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620 or email lryan@mt.gov.

The Sept. 26 meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. at 2701 Prospect Ave., Helena.