BOZEMAN HILL — Driving from Bozeman to Livingston on I-90, you might have noticed bumps along the side of the road (pictured above). MTN drove on the highway to figure out exactly what they are and spoke with Chad Mozol, an engineering project manager for the Montana Department of Transportation.
On Facebook, several comments were calling the new highway additions “water bars.” MTN asked Chad what they are.
“So, those are called check dams, they’re really similar to water bars,” said Mozol.
One comment on Facebook called the check dams “another waste of government money,” while another said they believe it’s to help with snow runoff.
So, what is the purpose of the check dams?
“We’re trying to slow the water down as it goes down the hill, but keep it in its original path in the median of the interstate there,” said Mozol.
Mozol says the dams were installed because heavy rain and runoff from melting snow would put debris and sediment onto Quinn Creek Road, which is a highway underpass. According to Mozol, the check dams could fix that issue.
“So, in a storm event, [the water] will be retained on those check dams and be slowed to a manageable level until the storm event’s over,” said Mozol.
WATCH: Insight from Montana Department of Transportation
The difference between a water bar and a check dam?
“The water bars are intended to remove the water from the roadways, whereas
these are just intended to slow it down but keep it in the direction it was going to,” said Mozol.
Mozol says the check dams will improve road safety.
“The design of them is within federal safety regulations,” he said.
