The Montana Department of Transportation is developing the Central Montana Transportation Study to create a long-term management plan addressing anticipated impacts from planned development and military activities in the region.

The study will identify transportation needs and solutions through a collaborative process with the Federal Highway Administration, military officials, local jurisdictions, resource agencies and the public.

The study focuses on infrastructure resiliency in the Great Falls and Lewistown areas, as well as MDT routes within nine counties: Cascade, Choteau, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Pondera, Teton, Toole and Wheatland.

Sentinel design progressing; Air Force decides on new silos for new missile

MDT is hosting open houses to share background information and initial study findings.

In-person open houses will be held at two locations on two separate dates.

Attendees will have an opportunity to view exhibits and talk with study representatives; no presentation will be provided. The format and content of each event will be the same.

• Lewistown: June 17. 4-6 p.m., Fergus High School, 1001 Casino Creek Drive
• Great Falls: June 18, 4-6 p.m., Gibson Room at the Civic Center, 2 Park Drive South

MDT is also hosting an online open house, which includes a summary of the same information provided at the in-person events.

Public comments may be submitted at the open houses, online here or by contacting Jackson Lang at 406-444-3246 or jlang@mt.gov. Note comments are for the Central Montana Transportation Study.

The study includes multiple subcomponents focused on subareas:

• access management plan: 57th Street South from 2nd Avenue North to U.S. 87/89 (RP 7.5 to RP 8.4) and U.S. 87/89 from 57th Street South to Secondary 227/228 (RP 87.4 to RP 90.4)
• Lewistown subarea analysis: MDT on-system routes and local routes within the urban boundary
• Great Falls subarea analysis: MDT on-system routes within the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area
• Old Havre Highway and U.S. 87 analysis: Old Havre Highway from 25th Avenue Northeast to U.S. 87/15th Street and U.S. 87 from 25th Avenue Northeast to Great Bear Avenue
• US 87 Armington Junction – Otter Creek Canyon analysis: U.S. 87 corridor between Armington Junction and Otter Creek Canyon (RP 0.0 and 7.2)

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to transition the existing Minuteman III to the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system.

Activities will include design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, mobilization and material transport, as well as onsite construction at each missile facility and along associated utility corridors, according to MDT.

Air Force hosting town halls on Sentinel missile project

Workforce hubs and laydown areas will be established throughout the region to support construction activities.

The Air Force is currently restructuring its Sentinel plan and has not yet released details of the construction timelines and locations of those workforce hubs.

The Air Force said in May that it now intend to replace, versus remodel, all the missile launch sites.

Construction is underway at Malmstrom Air Force Base in anticipation of the Sentinel project.