By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
In October 2023, the Montana Department of Transportation launched an unprecedented Optimization Plan to collect public feedback and generate actionable and expedited improvements for U.S. Highway 191 between Four Corners and Big Sky. MDT later added Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail) to the plan’s scope.
MDT officials initially described the plan as “something different than what MDT has ever done.”
The plan aims to enhance safety, mobility and infrastructure along one of southwest Montana’s most traveled corridors, according to a Jan. 14 MDT press release.
“These projects are about more than roadway changes,” Geno Liva, administrator of MDT’s Butte District which includes Bozeman and Big Sky, stated in the recent release. “They’re about improving reliability, enhancing safety and supporting growth in responsible ways.”
Optimization Plan items include the replacement of bridges near the Lava Lake Trailhead and Spanish Creek, and redesigned turnouts with improved signage. MDT announced in May the possibility of new passing lanes at four locations in the Gallatin Canyon—in his May 14 presentation, Butte District Preconstruction Engineer Brandon Jones said MDT will include several safety features to mitigate the hazards created by passing lanes where the additional passing lane merges back into one lane of traffic.
Other projects include the Big Sky North improvements, unveiled in May 2025 in the wake of a hazardous, pothole-riddled spring on U.S. 191. Big Sky North work includes guardrail embankment repair, subgrade dig outs, milling the existing surface, applying a new overlay, and finishing with a chip seal, upgraded pavement markings, signage and guardrail, according to MDT’s initial announcement. “The purpose of the project is to repair the existing surface, enhance roadway safety features, and prolong the service life of the roadway.”
As MDT makes progress, the agency is reminding the public where up-to-date information can be found: The US 191/MT 64 Optimization Plan website, which includes a link to submit public comment, contacts for project representatives and a story map with more specific details.
MDT encourages the public to reach out to Public Relations manager Kristine Fife via email to subscribe to regular project updates via email, at Kristine@bigskypublicrelations.com. “Together, these efforts represent a continued commitment to keeping the community informed as we work to enhance transportation safety and efficiency for everyone who lives, works, and travels the corridor,” MDT’s January release stated.
