Flathead County Transportation Plan – Phase II

Flathead County Transportation Plan – Phase II
A speed study was conducted by RPA along Lower Valley Road east of Foys Bend Lane in August 2008.
The speed study showed an average speed of 46.5 mph and an 85 th percentile speed of 55.7 mph. The
speed study indicates that the average speed is slightly higher than the posted speed limit of 45 mph,
while the 85 th percentile speed is more than 10 mph higher than the posted speed limit. The results of
the speed study indicate that there is a potential speeding problem along Lower Valley Road.
Table 2.21 below shows various ADT counts conducted along the study corridor by Flathead County and
RPA. These ADT counts show that current traffic volumes are under theoretical capacity levels for a
paved two‐lane facility.
Table 2.21: Lower Valley Road ADT
Source Location Date ADT
County East of Willow Glen Drive Sep‐05 2143
County North of Manning Road Aug‐07 178
County North of MT Highway 82 Jun‐05 314
RPA 1 East of Foys Bend Lane Aug‐08 1094
1 Represents single day ADT count; value was not adjusted for seasonal or daily variation.
There were eighteen reported crashes along Lower Valley Road between January 1 st , 2004 and
December 31 st , 2006. Fifteen of these reported crashes involved only one vehicle, the majority of which
occurred along the shoulder of the roadway. Thirteen of the eighteen reported crashes occurred while
the road surface was dry. Eight crashes resulted in injuries, none of which resulted in fatalities.
An analysis of the crash data shows that nine of the reported crashes (or 50%) occurred at or near the
intersection with Foys Bend Lane. This intersection is a 90‐degree corner with little signing. The
majority of the remaining nine reported crashes occurred near other sharp corners present along Lower
Valley Road, although no other clusters of crashes were observed.
In general, the majority of the crashes along Lower Valley Road appear to be the result of users driving
too fast around a sharp corner, and as a result, running off the road. This is supported by the speed
study that was conducted that points to a potential problem with speeding vehicles along the study
corridor.
Identified Issues:
Potential speeding problem
Lack of shoulders
Multiple sharp corners
Inadequate signing at some locations
Large number of crashes at or near the intersection with Foys Bend Lane
Crashes along 90‐degree corners
2‐44 | P age Existing Transportation System