Rush Hour: Gravel detour incoming 

Drivers can monitor traffic with webcams posted on Powder Light; 12-foot width restriction will apply 

EBS STAFF 

Traffic on Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail) will soon follow a gravel detour as TIGER grant crews begin construction of a pedestrian tunnel just west of Little Coyote Road’s east junction.  

That work is expected to begin “by the end of [next] week,” according to a June 16 project update.  

The tunnel will be the first TIGER grant project to affect Highway 64, as Riverside Contracting crews began in early June with a pedestrian bridge near the Big Sky Community Park. The tunnel will be the first of five main projects expected to slow traffic on Highway 64 this summer.  

Local officials have encouraged Big Sky residents and commuters to consider carpooling, biking and planning travel around peak traffic hours. Drivers can scope out current traffic with a pair of live webcams installed atop Powder Light apartments.  

When the gravel detour takes effect next week, a 12-foot width restriction will apply on Highway 64. Additional traffic control may be periodically necessary as construction equipment is moved through the area. 

Drivers can expect construction activities to occur between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, weather permitting. No work is currently planned for Saturdays.  

Anyone can sign up for weekly text updates by texting MT64PROJECT to 41411. 

Work continues on the pedestrian bridge near Big Sky Community Park, which requires occasional single-lane travel on Little Coyote Road, managed by flaggers.  

Upcoming projects will include left-turn lanes at Big Pine Drive and Andesite Road, and a shared-use pedestrian path between Big Pine Drive and Andesite Road. No definite schedule is set for those projects.

Questions and comments can be emailed to Kristine Fife, public relations representative for the project. The MDT’s project hotline can also be reached at 406-207-4484, during regular business hours. 

Weekly construction updates will be posted on the project website.