The city of Whitefish has been awarded $3.5 million to refurbish two blocks of U.S. Highway 93 downtown between Baker and Spokane avenues.
The money comes from the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
According to a press release from the city, only 3 percent of applications for the grant were accepted nationwide and Whitefish is one of two successful applications in Montana. No direct local matching funds are required.
The project consists of improvements to Highway 93, which is also called Second Street when it runs through downtown. The improvements including a modern, coordinated traffic signal system, the addition of left turn lanes, crosswalks that are compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and parking.
There will also be a curb-to-curb reconstruction of the actual roadway between Spokane and Baker avenues, during which the city will upgrade sewer and water lines. Work will be completed next year.
A key element of the application, according to the press release, were the city’s downtown business district master plan and the improvements already occurring on other downtown streets. Twenty-seven of the 93 pages in the grant application referred to or included information from the downtown master plan. The city estimates that the project will create or retain 97 jobs.
Key support for the TIGER application came from 21 letters of support from a range of people, including U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus, state Sen. Ryan Zinke, downtown business owners, community groups and local officials.