Greetings, Beacon nation! I trust that by now you’ve all recovered from your Mother’s Day celebrations and are basking in the afterglow of a deep gratitude that only a mom can command. My preliminary digging reveals that a goodly number of you took advantage of Glacier National Park’s opening of Going-to-the-Sun Road to Avalanche Creek, a Mother’s Day tradition that affords motorists the opportunity to drive a little deeper into the park’s interior before encountering the vehicle closure, after which hikers and bikers are free to explore the alpine byway undaunted by the thrum of traffic — at least for a few more weeks.

It’s funny how, living in communities guarded by steep mountain valleys and wild river corridors, we take for granted the stunning feats of structural engineering that allow us to build civilizations and lead comfortable lives in the northern Rockies. Did they pave paradise and put up a parking lot? Perhaps. Is there a price to pay for all this progress? Indubitably. But from Going-to-the-Sun Road to the Great Northern Railway, northwest Montana is home to some of the state’s most impressive infrastructure.

From the Beacon archives, here are seven stories that capture the grit and determination that brought these projects to completion, one brick at a time:

• A History of Glacier’s Iconic Byway
• Pioneering the Road to the Sun
• Building the East Shore Highway
• Northwest Montana’s Overlooked Engineering Wonder
• The Toughest Town in Montana
• The Libby Dam at 50
• The Road Less Traveled

I’m Tristan Scott, teeing up the work week with a little infrastructure awareness that might inform your daily lives.

If you’ve driven U.S. Highway 93 west of Whitefish this spring, you’ve noticed the early signs of a highway reconstruction project that will dominate the prominent gateway corridor through the fall of 2026. What you might not know is that the project was first approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 1994, and it will include a shared-use path linking the city center to three trailheads and two fishing access sites for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Beginning near the intersection with Mountainside Drive on the edge of town and continuing west for approximately three miles, ending just past Livermore Flats (west of Twin Bridges Road), the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) project centers on several key safety improvements: a new driving surface, designated turn lanes, guardrails, wider shoulders, new signage, and a separated shared-use path with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant handrails and detectable warning devices.

“This important work will enhance roadway safety features and improve non-motorized accessibility in Whitefish,” according to MDT. “The goal of this project is to extend the service life of this section of U.S. 93 so that it will continue to serve the community for years to come.”

But if the work’s so important, than why has it taken more than three decades for construction to begin?

Initially approved as the “U.S. Highway 93 Somers to Whitefish West” project, most of the segments included in the initial environmental impact statement have already been constructed. But long-range planning to improve the famously hazardous western corridor to Whitefish met a series of stumbling blocks and never quite got to the finish line, prompting a series of re-assessments, with the most recent occurring in 2008, before the 2017 Montana Legislature passed the Montana Shared-Use Path Act that revised criteria directing MDT to construct and maintain shared-use paths.

Because the Highway 93 West of Whitefish project was approved before lawmakers enacted the policy changes, MDT is responsible for the long-term maintenance costs of Whitefish’s new shared-use path.

Once construction begins, travelers can expect traffic control, lane reconfigurations and reduced speeds through the project area, as well as delays of up to 15 minutes. MDT said it will accommodate two-lane traffic as much as possible; however, one-lane traffic controlled by pilot vehicles or flaggers may be necessary.

In March, MDT cleared a swath of trees on either side of the highway, which is necessary for utility relocation and reconstruction. MDT had to work within a specific timeframe to compete the tree-clearing work due to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which says the nests of protected migratory bird species can’t be disturbed once they are active. MDT scheduled the tree-clearing work well ahead of the highway reconstruction to avoid the nesting birds, and is preparing to begin the actual roadwork as soon as next week.

Without further delay, let’s get on the road to the news of the day.

What You Can Buy for About $475,000: In Romy Caro’s latest real estate roundup, she features a charming, single-level home in Kalispell; a well-maintained and updated residence in Columbia Falls; and a charming ranch-style home with an open living and dining room in Somers, just minutes from Flathead Lake.