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State DOT proposes lighting and signage at Shell Oil Road intersection; county asked to accept maintenance duty for signs
Summary
MDT representatives presented a preliminary safety project to light the Shell Oil Road intersection and add stop signs and 'stop ahead' warnings; county staff were asked to agree to maintain new signage while the state installs lights, with project programming and federal approvals still pending.
Montana Department of Transportation staff joined the Fallon County meeting on June 23 to outline a preliminary safety project for the Shell Oil Road intersection.
MDT said the proposed work would install lighting at the intersection and add doubled stop signs with 'stop ahead' signage on both approaches. MDT representatives characterized the project as preventive: although the location does not have a high number of documented serious crashes, the intersection’s characteristics and traffic volumes justify a systemic safety intervention under recent HSIP guidance, they said.
"The only thing the county would have to agree to is maintaining the stop sign, the additional stop ahead signs on Shell Oil Road," MDT representative Shane said, describing roles and responsibilities should the county choose to participate. MDT clarified that lighting and installation would be handled by the state, but the county would maintain the two additional stop signs and the associated 'stop ahead' signage on Shell Oil Road.
Daniel, another MDT representative, described the package as an early step in a longer process and said the project is not yet programmed or federally approved. "One of the first steps if we get the county on board for to maintain their end, then we can justify the federal dollars," Daniel said. MDT estimated that larger corridor projects would likely reach construction in a multi-year window (discussed as 2026–2027 for large projects) but emphasized this intersection-level work is in an earlier stage.
Commissioners asked whether the proposal included drainage work, rumble strips, or widening. MDT replied the present concept is limited to signage and lighting and intended to avoid measures (like rumble strips) that would create neighborhood impacts. Commissioners and MDT agreed the next step is a written maintenance agreement from MDT so the county can review responsibilities; MDT said staff would send the draft agreement in the coming weeks.
No formal county commitment to sign the maintenance agreement was recorded during the meeting. MDT also noted that HSIP and safety funds are competitive and that actions will be prioritized based on available data and systemic safety forecasting.
The project remains at concept and coordination stage; the county will review the maintenance agreement when it is received and revisit the item at a future meeting if the county chooses to participate.
