Project Overview

US Highway 20 (US 20), otherwise known as Targhee Pass Highway, is well-known for its recreational access. Drivers can take the highway to Yellowstone National Park or stop along the way at numerous lodging sites - from campgrounds and cabins to hotels and lodges.

This corridor has an intersection-related crash pattern near Denny Creek Road. The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is working to enhance safety on this road through the Targhee Turn Lanes project. Engineering a safer drive saves lives and is a critical part of Vision Zero – MDT's initiative with the goal of zero fatalities and zero serious injuries on Montana's roadways.

The Targhee Turn Lanes project will improve one mile of US 20 by installing a center-turn-lane between the Mountainside KOA and Denny Creek Road and a left-turn-lane at Denny Creek Road, west of West Yellowstone, near the Montana-Idaho border. The project is currently in the early design phase. A timeline for the project has not yet been determined.

Project Funding:

The Targhee Turn Lanes project will be primarily funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program. The primary focus of the program involves identifying locations where higher severity crashes have occurred and prioritizing work that reduces these crashes.

The public is encouraged to reach out with thoughts and questions by calling the project hotline at 406-207-4484, operating Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by emailing sloane@bigskypublicrelations.com.