Project Overview
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is finalizing plans to reconstruct over 7 miles of Montana Highway 41 (MT 41) between Dillon and Twin Bridges. This project begins north of Dillon near the Stone Creek Bridge and ends just south of the Point of Rocks Cemetery.
The purpose of the project is to enhance safety features and improve operations for all roadway users by reducing the current roller-coaster effect, improving sight distance, providing more passing opportunities, adding wider shoulders and rumble strips, flattening steep slopes on the side of the road, and installing wildlife barrier fencing near the Beaverhead River bridge.
Planned improvements include:
- Realigning the roadway north of the Beaverhead River.
- Reducing the vertical grade (steepness) of hills.
- Adding 8-foot shoulders.
- Adding shoulder rumble strips and replacing centerline rumble strips.
- Flattening steep slopes on the side of the road.
- Replacing the Stone Creek Bridge with a concrete box culvert.
- Replacing the Beaverhead River Bridge with a new bridge.
- Upgrading guardrail and drainage.
- Constructing wildlife barrier fencing near the Beaverhead River bridge.
Why is the project needed?
This section of MT 41 was originally paved in 1959 and was last improved in 1988. A seal and cover (chip seal) was applied in 2011 to preserve and extend the service life of the roadway pavement. The roadway is narrow by today’s standards with 12-foot lanes and no shoulder. In addition, multiple hills and valleys on the roadway cause a “roller-coaster effect” and limit sight distance. This highway has heavy truck traffic and an increased number of recreational vehicles in the summer causing congestion and vehicle passing safety concerns.
Process and Schedule
This project is in the final design phase and beginning the right-of-way acquisition phase. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 depending on design completion, right-of-way acquisition, and the availability of funding.
Anticipated Schedule
| Acquire necessary right-of-way | 2024-2025 |
| Present planned improvements to public | Early 2025 |
| Finalize engineering designs | 2024-2026 |
| Project ready for construction | 2027 |
Stay Informed
MDT will notify the public about potential opportunities to provide feedback or input on this design project through the project website, local media, social media, and other methods such as via mail.
MDT encourages the public to join the project's mailing list by submitting contact information to Brandon Coates at
UPN: 7931