The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will begin pavement preservation work on the 26.2 miles of U.S. Highway 2 between Hungry Horse and Stanton Creek this May ahead of a busy summer tourist season along the route to Glacier National Park.
The highway will be resurfaced through cold-in-place recycling, a sustainable process that rejuvenates existing asphalt with new pavement markings, an upgraded guardrail, additional rumble stripes and ADA ramp sidewalk upgrades.
Starting with the sidewalk upgrades on May 10 in Hungry Horse, Coram and Martin City, MDT Missoula District Construction Engineer John Schmidt says crews will wrap up in October.
While Highway 2 is busiest during the summer months, MDT officials say the work must be done in warm temperatures to refurbish the road.
Crews will work Monday through Friday and potentially some Saturdays, depending on weather.
Motorists should expect 15-minute delays between Hungry Horse and West Glacier. There will be up to 45-minute delays from West Glacier to Stanton Creek due to the narrow canyon.
From 2009 to 2019, 357 crashes were recorded on Highway 2 between Hungry Horse and Stanton Creek. Centerline and shoulder rumble strips, a new guardrail and concrete barrier, new signage and pavement markings and a barrier at the Moccasin Creek Bridge will add safety to the roadway, officials say.
MDT hosted both virtual and in-person open houses on April 29 and April 30 to present the project to the public.
“There were a lot of good concerns about what’s happening with traffic, traffic control and questions about delays and bike and pedestrian use,” Schmidt said. “We’re going to do the best we can to limit those impacts.”
MDT officials first started planning the project two years ago to construct the project timeline.
“We appreciate the public’s patience and support and we’re going to do our best to make it as little inconvenience as possible,” Schmidt said.