Project Overview
Montana Highway 78 (MT 78) is a treasured route, transporting residents and visitors through charming towns and winding scenic stretches of rural farm and ranch land. But this corridor also has an identified trend of off-road crashes southeast of Roscoe near Butcher Creek Road. This stretch of MT 78 contains some of the sharpest curves on MT 78, as well as nearby creeks and several wildlife crossing locations.
Through the Curves South of Roscoe safety improvements project, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has been investigating options to address this crash pattern. The project, which will enhance roadway safety features on just over 1 mile of MT 78, initially considered reconstructing the curves to a straighter roadway alignment. Due to the high cost of this option, reconstruction is no longer part of the project plans. MDT is now developing a new scope of work that will prioritize more cost-efficient options for enhancing roadway safety.
The new scope of work will focus on enhancing safety features within the project area, such as installing intelligent road signs with radar-activated flashing curve warnings. Work is expected to occur in 2026. This timeline is subject to change due to weather, funding, material and contractor availability, and other unforeseen circumstances.
This new course of action will provide effective and affordable safety enhancements more quickly than a large highway reconstruction project. It also gives MDT time to consider a future project to reconstruct this section of MT 78 and find a more appropriate funding source.
The Curves South of Roscoe project is funded by the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). This federal program provides funding to states for projects that directly work to improve roadway safety features. Projects that qualify for this funding must identify a location where higher severity crashes have occurred and provide a solution that reduces crashes. Additionally, project costs must not outweigh benefits, so costly improvements that do not significantly address crashes are unlikely to be approved for funding.
When the project was nominated for HSIP funding, the cost estimate was approximately $2 million. The most recent cost estimate to reconstruct the highway was closer to $12 million. Challenging terrain, environmental impacts, right of way needs, and other factors significantly contributed to the increased cost of reconstructing the highway.
Due to these costly factors not directly related to reducing crashes, as required by HSIP, the project's eligibility for funding was re-evaluated. To retain and maximize the impact of the available HSIP funding for the project and continue enhancing safety in the area, MDT is now pursuing lower-cost safety treatments.
As project details are further defined, MDT will work to keep the media and community informed.
The adjacent Highway 78–Red Lodge to Luther project is proceeding as planned. The project will improve nearly 11 miles of roadway, from five miles northwest of Red Lodge past Summit Lane, to just east of Butcher Creek Road near Luther. A construction start date has not yet been determined.
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UPN 9599000