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Construction confusion: Homeowners talk concerns at community meeting | ABC Fox Bozeman

BOZEMAN – Construction confusion has been building up for years in northeast Bozeman as temporary shutdowns and utility work have taken place on Rouse Avenue.

On Tuesday, area residents had the chance to talk face-to-face with the people involved with the $9 million project that’s expected to upgrade driving lanes, add bike paths, and safer pedestrian routes.

Residents say for the last few months, they’ve woken up to their driveways being blocked off, holes in the front yard with very little safety coverage, uncontrolled speeds in construction zones, no re-vegetation after construction, and more safety concerns.

The biggest struggle for residents is transparency - exactly what Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), which controls the project, tried to generate at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Big Sky Public Relations, which represents MDT, outlined how communication will improve for residents down the road, including creating a text alert system and connecting homeowners to project supervisors.

The project will add turn lanes, two-way left-turn lanes, updated utilities, new bike lanes, sidewalks, and safer access for pedestrians.

Preliminary utility work, which should have minimal impacts to traffic, will go until this fall, with general roadway construction taking over in spring 2020.

Summer 2020 will welcome major traffic delays as road construction from Main St. to E. Lamme St. will cause roadway closures near Hawthorne Elementary School.

By fall 2020, traffic on Rouse will be closed for construction from Main to E. Lamme. The entire project is expected to be completed by November 2020.