Commissioners back petition to repair Highway 7

Carter County commissioners recently backed a petition penned to the department of transportation, Governor Gianforte and the legislature regarding immediate necessary repair of Highway 7 in Carter County. The petition requests that the aforementioned parties immediately engage in remedial repair and improvement of Highway 7 by widening its southern portion approximately from mile marker 16 to mile marker 8 to the approximate dimensions of the much wider and foundationally-sound northern portions of the highway by the end of the next fiscal year of June 30, 2023.

Further, the petition calls for Highway 7 and its bridges to be widened, improved and maintained from mile marker 8 to the Ekalaka airport turnoff by end of the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2025.

Several reasons for the necessary repair of Highway 7 are given including its hazardous condition, specifically the narrow width of the highway between mile markers 1 and 19, the fact that it continues to be heavily used by wide load and heavy load vehicles, the fact that its narrow width presents no opportunity for corrective or evasive maneuvering under circumstances of dangerous weather, dangerous road conditions, distracted driving, driver error, equipment failure and livestock, game animals, or other obstructions being present.

Additionally, the petition states that Highway 7 is the primary route in emergency situations and for ambulance transport, and the highway presents, in its current condition, an extreme ongoing threat to the safety of ambulance personnel, fire personnel, law enforcement and patients. It also makes reference to the recent tragic traffic fatality of a local citizen and multiple other vehicular accidents that have impacted the community.

The petition can be found in its entirety on page 6. It is available at various local businesses and the Carter County Clerk and Reorder’s Office for signatures. The deadline for residents to sign the petition is March 15.