Publication Year:
2021 Road Safety Award
US Highway 89 west of Browning, MT traverses the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and provides a key entrance to Glacier National Park, which typically sees 3 million visitors each year. The route, originally built in 1927, was narrow with sharp curves, few turnouts and heavy tourist traffic. To improve roadway safety and traffic flow while minimizing impacts to numerous Blackfeet cultural sites, adjacent wetlands, and area wildlife, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) performed major road improvements along a 5.8-mile stretch. These included reconstruction of 21 substandard horizontal curves, shoulder widening, and provision of edge line rumble strips.