The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and in coordination with the City of Whitefish conducted the Whitefish US 93 Urban Corridor Study. This study focuses on the downtown environment and both local and through traffic needs. Coordination with the community’s Downtown Master Plan and the recommendations for livability, aesthetics, and land use was conducted. This work effort reviewed the information completed in the U.S. Highway 93 - Somers to Whitefish Final Environmental Impact Statement (1994). This corridor study sub-component to the overall community’s transportation needs updates all relevant information concerning traffic flow, and analyzes design options under "pre-NEPA" guidance and criteria. The goal is to analyze reasonable design options and recommend improvement options based on the original EIS and ROD’s purpose and need. The corridor limits studied were those previously examined under the Whitefish Urban Project which begins on U.S. Highway 93 at 13th Street, continues north on Spokane Avenue to 2nd Street, continues west on 2nd Street, and ends just west of Baker Avenue.

The corridor study process followed the Montana Business Process to Link Planning Studies and NEPA/MEPA Reviews, which requires extensive community outreach and coordination with other partnering agencies.