It’ll Be a Frustrating Summer on This Busy Missoula Area Highway
We always joke that summer is actually "construction season" in Montana, and that's certainly going to be the case later this month are one of the busiest highways in the Missoula area starts backing up with traffic.
The Montana Department of Transportation is warning drivers that an extensive resurfacing project, which also includes some additional repairs and changes, could bring significant delays to MT 200 east of Missoula.
And at times those delays could add 15-to-20 minutes to your trip through Milltown and Bonner.
The project starts in Milltown just east of the river
MDT says crews with Knife River Inc. will be re-surfacing MT 200 starting on the east side of Milltown, where the road intersects with Montana Highway 210 and begins its journey upriver. The work will continue for 7-and-a-half miles past Bonner and upriver through the canyon.
Crews will resurface the road, doing chip seal work, and new pavement markings and shoulder rumble strips.
Concrete curb work will take about two and a half weeks and will be done during the day, between 5 am and 9 pm. The milling and paving work will take about three weeks and will be done during the overnight hours, between 6 pm and 6 am to minimize congestion. The entire project won't be finished until August.
The work is set to start June 19th, weather permitting.
In addition to the delays, there will be reduced speeds and single-lane traffic, which can also add to the congestion.
This is the busiest time of the year on MT 200, with heavy recreational and commercial traffic. So MDT is asking for drivers' patience and remembering the "three Ss" of work zone safety, and "speed space and stress" to keep workers and other drivers safe.
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