Interstate 90 in Montana

Interstate 90
Riverbend North
Route information
Maintained by MDT
Length:	554.10 mi[1] (891.74 km)
Major junctions
West end:	I-90 at Idaho state line
	I‑15 west of Butte I‑115 in Butte I‑15 east of Butte I‑94 in Billings
East end:	I-90 / US 87 at Wyoming state line
Location
Counties:	Mineral, Missoula, Granite, Powell, Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, Jefferson, Broadwater, Gallatin, Park, Sweet Grass, Stillwater, Yellowstone, Big Horn
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Montana Highways Secondary ← MT 89 US 91 →

Interstate 90 in Montana (I-90) is a portion of the east–west transcontinental Interstate 90, which links Seattle, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts. The portion in the US state of Montana is 554.10 miles (891.74 km) long, linking fourteen counties through central and southern Montana.

Route description

Mineral County

Interstate 90 enters Montana and Mineral County from Shoshone County, Idaho over the 4,725-foot (1,440 m) high Lookout Pass, which traverses the Coeur d'Alène Mountains of the Bitterroot Range, and immediately has its first interchange, a partial cloverleaf serving extreme northwest Mineral County. The highway continues southeasterly through woodlands, paralleling the St. Regis River, before meeting the Dena Mora (Lookout Pass) rest area 4.7 mi (7.6 km) east of the Idaho–Montana border.^[2] About a ¹⁄₂ mi (0.80 km) from the rest stop is a diamond interchange, serving a small minor road into the St. Joe National Forest in Idaho. The highway continues, winding through the woodlands until another diamond interchange, serving the small unincorporated community of Saltese. Continuing east for about 6 mi (9.7 km), each direction diverges for a small distance before returning side to side for a diamond interchange serving the unincorporated community of Haugan.^[3][4]

Two miles (3.22 km) after Haugan, I-90 intersects the census-designated place (CDP) of De Borgia, continuing southeasterly, intersecting several minor roads, before reaching the CDP of St. Regis and Montana Highway 135 (MT 135). The highway stops paralleling the St. Regis River, and begins to parallel, and cross over several times, the Clark Fork River. Superior, the county seat, is intersected before the highway turns south through the Quartz Flats rest area, located 58.2 mi (93.7 km) from the Idaho border.^[2] After leaving the rest area, the highway straightens out, heading easterly. The highway continues east before exiting the county, just south of Alberton.^[3][4]

Missoula, Granite and Powell counties

I-90 in Granite County, facing east

Entering Missoula County, the highway intersects Alberton, before continuing easterly through Huson and MT 263. The highway continues southeast before intersecting the concurrent highways U.S. Route 93 (US 93) and MT 200, which join I-90 from the west. The three highways continue into the county seat of Missoula, where at the first exit, US 93 leaves on the western border of Missoula and travels through Orchard Homes. The next two exits travel into downtown Missoula, while the last exit serves East Missoula. US 12 joins I-90 and MT 200 exits to the north of the highway outside of Missoula, paralleling the Blackfoot River as I-90 continues east, following and then intersecting Montana Secondary Highway 210 (S-210) in Clinton. The Bearmouth rest area, 142.8 mi (229.8 km) from the Idaho border, is intersected before crossing the Missoula–Granite County border.^[2][3][4]

After entering Granite County, I-90 has an interchange with an access road to the Garnet Back Country Byway,^[5] providing access to the Garnet Range on the west slope of the Rocky Mountains. The highway passes north of the Lolo National Forest while headed easterly. The highway continues through northern Granite county, intersecting MT 1 before exiting the county entering Powell County. Thirteen miles (29.92 km) after entering the county, I-90 intersects MT 272, which clips the eastern segment of the Lolo National Forest, before the seasonal Gold Creek rest area is intersected.^[2] Garrison is northeast of the highway as US 12 ends its concurrency, traveling north from I-90 towards the state capital of Helena. I-90 turns south, paralleling former Northern Pacific Railway trackage,^[6] before intersecting S-275 and the county seat, Deer Lodge. Continuing south, I90 exits Powell County at Race Track.^[3][4]

Deer Lodge, Silver Bow and Jefferson counties

Interstate 90 bisects the northern tip of Deer Lodge County, in a southwesterly direction. Galen and S-273 are intersected, before the highway passes west of the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area. After passing the wildlife management area, the highway passes by Warm Springs and MT 48. Just northwest of the Deer Lodge–Silver Bow County border, I-90 intersects MT 1.^[3][4]

Fairmont Hot Springs, accessible via S-441 is the first exit in Silver Bow County on I-90, as the highway starts to turn back towards the east. Ramsay is located in the southwest corner of the interchange where I-15 becomes concurrent with I-90 through Butte. On the western edge of Butte, I-115 continues east into town, as I-15/90 turns southeast, bypassing most of downtown Butte. An interchange with MT 2 serves the Bert Mooney Airport before I-15/90 split just east of Butte, with I-15 continuing north over the Continental Divide over the 6,368-foot (1,941 m) high Elk Park Pass, which straddles the Silver Bow–Jefferson County border. I-90 heads south then east, also entering Jefferson County, passing over the divide at Homestake Pass which is 6,375-foot (1,943 m) high. Jefferson County has interchanges with S-399 east of Pipestone and S-359 east of Cardwell before meeting the Jefferson–Broadwater County border.^[3][4]

Broadwater, Gallatin and Park counties

I-90 through Bozeman Pass

There is only one exit along I-90 in Broadwater County, linking MT 2 in the south and US 287 north of the highway before crossing the Broadwater–Gallatin County border at the Missouri River. I-90 parallels S-205, bypassing the towns of Trident, Logan, Manhattan and Belgrade on the north of the highway. A new interchange was constructed just east of Belgrade (Exit #299?)that services Yellowstone International Airport to the north and the western area of the city of Bozeman. MT 85 travels south from I-90 in Belgrade, providing access to Bozeman Hot Springs. The highway then enters the city of Bozeman, the county seat, and intersects and becomes concurrent with US 191. Intersecting and traveling north from I-90 is MT 86 providing access to Bridger Bowl Ski Area. I-90 exits the county at the Gallatin–Park County border at 5,760-foot (1,760 m) high Bozeman Pass. US 89 intersects I-90 in the county seat of Livingston, and passing over the Yellowstone River. The highway continues northeasterly, paralleling the river, intersecting S-295 before crossing the Park–Sweet Grass County border.^[3][4]

Sweet Grass and Stillwater counties

West of Park City facing west

Still paralleling the Yellowstone River, I-90 travels northwest intersecting S-298 and US 191 in the county seat of Big Timber. The highway turns back southeast, passing south of Greycliff and the Greycliff rest area, located 380.9 mi (613.0 km) from the Idaho border.^[2] The highway passes through the Sweet Grass–Stillwater County border just west of Reed Point. After passing into Stillwater County, I-90 crosses over the river, and enters the county seat of Columbus, intersecting MT 78 south of the highway and S-306 on the north side of the highway. The highway is titled the Robert E. Ewing Jr. Memorial Highway between mileposts 410 and 424.^[7] I-90 intersects the Columbus rest area, 418.8 mi (674.0 km) from the Idaho border,^[2] followed by Park City before exiting Stillwater County.^[3][4]

Yellowstone and Big Horn counties

US 212 becomes concurrent with I-90 just east of Laurel before entering the county seat of Billings. I-90 Bus. passes into town as the main freeway travels south of Billings and bisects Billings Heights and Lockwood intersecting MT 3 and US 87, which joins the I-90/US 212 concurrency. On the extreme eastern end of Billings, the three highways intersect the beginning of I-94, which heads northeast towards North Dakota, while I-90 turns southeast into Big Horn County. Immediately after entering Big Horn County the three highways pass the seasonal Hardin rest area.^[2] Entering Hardin, the county seat, the three highways intersect S-313 and MT 47. S-313 provides access to Yellowtail Dam, while MT 47 connects back to I-94. After exiting Hardin, I-90 turns south, entering the Crow Indian Reservation and intersects S-384, before reaching Crow Agency. Crow Agency is home to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and Reno–Benteen Battlefield Memorial, which are passed after US 212 departs to the east. Continuing south, I-90/US 87 parallels S-451 and the Little Bighorn River, passing by Garryowen, Benteen, Lodge Grass and Wyola before exiting the state of Montana and entering Sheridan County, Wyoming.^[3][4]

Expansion of the Billings area corridor

The 2012 Billings area I-90 corridor planning study recommends many improvements to the corridor from Laurel through Lockwood, including construction of new east and westbound bridges over the Yellowstone River, with each bridge having three to four traffic lanes. Also recommended are construction of additional eastbound and westbound traffic lanes from Shiloh to Johnson Lane and reconstruction and widening of many of the bridges, interchanges and on-off ramps along the corridor at an estimated cost of $114 million.^[8]

History

Interstate 90 replaced US 10 between Livingston and the Idaho border,^[9] and before that, the Yellowstone Trail.^[10]

Until 1995 in Montana near the Idaho border, I-90 was not a divided highway for a few stretches, having only a narrow paved median. From 1995 until 1999, the daytime maximum speed limit in Montana was "reasonable and prudent." As of October 1, 2015 the daytime and nighttime speed limits on Interstate Highways are 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) for cars and light trucks and 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) for heavy trucks, except within urban areas, where the maximum speed limit is 65 mph for all vehicles, day or night. ^[11][12] According to an article in the Missoulian, dated September 28, 2015, "drivers headed east from Idaho on I-90 will be restricted to 75 mph for the first 34 miles, from Lookout Pass to just east of St. Regis. After St. Regis, there’ll be an 80 mph limit for the next 60 miles past Superior, Alberton and Frenchtown. The 20-mile zone around Missoula starts a couple of miles west of the Wye, where it drops to 75. That decreases to 65 mph within the Missoula urban area, then it becomes 75 again near the eastbound East Missoula on-ramp. The 80 mph stretch resumes roughly seven miles later at Turah and remains in place to Butte, where the speed limit remains at 65 mph." ^[13]

On I-90, at Exit 0 (right on the MT/ID border) is the Lookout Pass Ski Area, and one exit east of there is the Hiawatha Trail (rails-to-trails).

In 1996, a section of I-90 was closed for nineteen days due to a train derailment and chlorine spill near Alberton, Montana.^[14]

Exit list

County	Location	mi[15]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Mineral	​	0.000	0.000		I-90 west	Continuation into Idaho
	​	0.077	0.124	0	Lookout Pass
	​	5.580	8.980	5	Taft Area
	​	10.418	16.766	10	Saltese
	​	16.541	26.620	16	Haugan
	​	18.752	30.178	18	De Borgia
	​	21.820	35.116	22	Henderson
	​	25.216	40.581	25	Drexel
	​	26.207	42.176	26	Ward Creek Road	Eastbound exit and entrance
	​	29.940	48.184	30	Two Mile Road
	​	33.240	53.495	33	MT 135 – St. Regis
	​	37.016	59.571	37	Sloway Area
	​	42.247	67.990	43	Dry Creek Road
	Superior	46.751	75.238	47	S-257 – Superior
	​	54.653	87.955	55	Lozeau, Quartz
	​	60.971	98.123	61	Tarkio
	​	64.818– 65.565	104.314– 105.517	65	Crystal Springs
	​	66.055	106.305	66	Fish Creek Road
	​	69.483	111.822	70	Cyr	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Alberton	74.328	119.619	75	I‑90 Bus. east – Alberton
Missoula	​	76.809	123.612	77	I‑90 Bus. west / S-507 (Petty Creek Road) – Alberton
	​	81.765	131.588	82	Nine Mile Road
	​	84.325	135.708	85	Huson
	​	88.888	143.051	89	Frenchtown
	Wye	95.483	153.665	96	US 93 north / MT 200 west – Kalispell	West end of US 93 / MT 200 overlap
	​	99.091	159.472	99	Airway Boulevard
	Missoula	100.867	162.330	101	I‑90 Bus. east / US 93 south (Reserve Street) – Hamilton	East end of US 93 overlap
		103.930	167.259	104	Orange Street
		104.794	168.650	105	I‑90 Bus. west / US 12 west (Van Buren Street)	West end of US 12 overlap
		106.419	171.265	107	East Missoula
	​	109.634	176.439	109	MT 200 east – Bonner, Great Falls	East end of MT 200 overlap
	​	113.519	182.691	113	Turah
	​	120.423	193.802	120	Clinton
	​	125.475	201.932	126	Rock Creek Road
	​	129.868	209.002	130	Beavertail Road
Granite	​	137.524	221.323	138	Bearmouth Area
	Drummond	152.802	245.911	153	MT 1 – Drummond, Philipsburg	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		153.727	247.400	154	To MT 1 – Drummond, Philipsburg	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Powell	​	161.637	260.130	162	Jens
	​	165.360	266.121	166	Gold Creek
	​	169.327	272.505	170	Phosphate
	​	173.471	279.175	174	US 12 east – Garrison, Helena	East end of US 12 overlap; Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	​	174.656	281.082	175	To US 12 east – Garrison, Helena	No westbound entrance
	​	178.245	286.858	179	Beck Hill Road
	Deer Lodge	183.625	295.516	184	I‑90 Bus. east – Deer Lodge
	​	186.640	300.368	187	I‑90 Bus. west – Deer Lodge	No westbound entrance
	​	193.861	311.989	195	Racetrack
Deer Lodge	​	196.271	315.868	197	S-273 – Galen
	​	200.264	322.294	201	Warm Springs
	​	206.336	332.066	208	MT 1 – Anaconda, Opportunity
Silver Bow	​	209.806	337.650	211	S-441 – Gregson, Fairmont, Hot Springs
	​	214.860	345.784	216	Ramsay
	​	217.337	349.770	219	I‑15 south – Dillon, Idaho Falls	West end of I-15 overlap; I-15 exit 121; exits in the I-15 overlap follow I-15
	​	218.408	351.494	122	Rocker
	Butte	220.237	354.437	124	I‑115 east / I‑15 Bus. north / I‑90 Bus. east – City Center	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		222.263	357.698	126	Montana Street
		223.883	360.305	127	I‑15 Bus. south / I‑90 Bus. west (Harrison Avenue)	Signed as exits 127A and 127B eastbound; I-15 Bus./I-90 Bus. not signed eastbound
		224.933	361.995	227	I‑15 north – Helena	East end of I-15 overlap; I-15 exit 129
	​	226.785	364.975	228	Continental Drive
	​	231.425	372.442	233	Homestake
Jefferson	​	240.144	386.474	241	Pipestone
	Whitehall	247.203	397.835	249	MT 55 to MT 69 – Whitehall
	​	254.472	409.533	256	S-359 – Cardwell, Boulder
	​	265.878	427.889	267	Milligan Canyon Road
Broadwater	​	272.975	439.311	274	US 287 – Helena, Ennis
Gallatin	​	276.514	445.006	278	MT 2 / S-205 – Three Forks, Trident
	​	281.447	452.945	283	Logan, Trident
	​	286.871	461.674	288	S-288 to S-346 – Manhattan, Amsterdam
	Belgrade	296.474	477.129	298	MT 85 / S-291 – Amsterdam, Belgrade, West Yellowstone
	Bozeman	303.434	488.330	305	S-412 (North 19th Avenue) / Springhill Road
		305.084	490.985	306	I‑90 Bus. east / S-205 (North 7th Avenue) to US 191 south
		307.568	494.983	309	I‑90 Bus. west / US 191 south (Main Street)	West end of US 191 overlap
	​	311.207	500.839	313	Bear Canyon Road
	​	314.528	506.184	316	Trail Creek Road
	​	317.428	510.851	319	Jackson Creek Road
	​	322.387	518.832	324	Ranch Access
Park	​	328.850	529.233	330	I‑90 Bus. east – Livingston
	Livingston	330.804	532.377	333	US 89 south – Yellowstone National Park, Livingston City Center	West end of US 89 overlap
	​	335.752	540.340	337	I‑90 Bus. west – Livingston
	​	338.282	544.412	340	US 89 north – White Sulphur Springs	East end of US 89 overlap
	​	341.144	549.018	343	Mission Creek Road
	​	348.308	560.547	350	East End Access
	​	350.562	564.175	352	Ranch Access
Sweet Grass	​	352.169	566.761	354	S-563 – Springdale
	​	359.952	579.287	362	De Hart
	​	365.541	588.281	367	I‑90 Bus. east / US 191 north – Big Timber, Harlowton	East end of US 191 overlap
	​	368.691	593.351	370	I‑90 Bus. west to US 191 north – Big Timber, Harlowton
	​	375.932	605.004	377	Greycliff
	​	382.929	616.264	384	Bridger Creek Road
Stillwater	​	390.017	627.672	392	Reed Point
	​	394.893	635.519	396	Ranch Access
	​	398.526	641.365	400	Springtime Road
	​	406.813	654.702	408	MT 78 – Columbus
	​	424.583	683.300	426	Park City
Yellowstone	Laurel	430.920	693.499	433	I‑90 Bus. east – West Laurel	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		432.039	695.299	434	US 212 west / US 310 – Laurel, Red Lodge	West end of US 212 overlap
		435.439	700.771	437	I‑90 Bus. west / South Frontage Road – East Laurel
	Billings	441.444	710.435	443	Zoo Drive, Shiloh Road
		443.910	714.404	446	I‑90 Bus. east / King Avenue West, Mullowney Lane – West Billings
		445.150	716.399	447	South Billings Boulevard – Billings City Center
		448.056	721.076	450	MT 3 (27th Street) – Billings City Center
		450.817	725.520	452	I‑90 Bus. west / US 87 north – Roundup, Billings Heights, Lockwood	West end of US 87 overlap
		453.263	729.456	455	Johnson Lane – Lockwood
		454.264	731.067	456	I‑94 east – Miles City, Bismarck	I-94 west to 90 east exit 0.
	​	460.132	740.511	462	Pryor Creek Road
	​	467.594	752.520	469	Arrow Creek Road
Big Horn	​	476.564	766.955	478	Fly Creek Road
	​	482.327	776.230	484	Frontage Road – Toluca
	Hardin	493.863	794.795	495	I‑90 Bus. east / MT 47 – Hardin City Center
	​	495.455	797.358	497	I‑90 Bus. west (Third Street) – Hardin
	​	501.149	806.521	503	Dunmore
	​	507.093	816.087	509	Crow Agency
	​	508.758	818.767	510	US 212 east – Little Bighorn Battlefield, Broadus	East end of US 212 overlap
	​	512.638	825.011	514	Garryowen
	​	528.564	850.641	530	S-463 – Lodge Grass
	​	541.924	872.142	544	Wyola
	​	547.796	881.592	549	Aberdeen
	​	554.105	891.746		I-90 east / US 87 south – Casper, Rapid City	Continuation into Wyoming
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

Route map: Bing / Google

• Meeks, Harold (November 2000). On the road to Yellowstone: the Yellowstone Trail and American highways, 1900–1930. Missoula, Mont,: Pictoral Histories Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 1-57510-079-7.

1. "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. October 31, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
2. Montana Rest Areas (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. Montana Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
3. The Road Atlas (Map). 1 in ˜ 30 mi. Cartography by Rand McNally. Rand McNally. 2009. p. 60–61. ISBN 978-0-528-94219-8.
4. Montana Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Montana Department of Transportation. 2009.
5. "Garnet Back Country Byway". National Scenic Byways Program. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
6. Helena Quadrangle (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. April 1903. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
7. "60-1-213. Robert E. Ewing Jr. memorial highway.". Montana Code Annotated 2009. Montana Legislature. 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
8. "BILLINGS AREA I-90 CORRIDOR PLANNING STUDY". Retrieved 2013-01-29.
9. Meeks, p. 127
10. Junior Road Map – Montana (Map). Rand McNally. 1926.
11. http://www.mdt.mt.gov/visionzero/roads/speedlimits.shtml
12. MIKE DENNISON Gazette State Bureau (May 5, 2015). "New law will increase some highway speed limits to 80 mph". The Billings Gazette. line feed character in |author= at position 14 (help)
13. http://missoulian.com/news/local/mph-speed-limit-to-increase-on-most-but-not-all/article_129da926-1e62-5665-a86a-d8a8f5b06832.html
14. Kato, Dillon. "Workshop Uses 1996 Alberton Chlorine Spill to Teach Emergency Management.” Missoulian, May 3, 2015.
15. "Montana Road Log" (PDF). Montana Department of Transportation. 2013. pp. 9–18. Retrieved April 4, 2015.