Chinook East project logo

Project Overview

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Great West Engineering will rehabilitate six miles of US Highway 2 (US 2) between Chinook and Zurich to enhance roadway safety features and provide a wider driving surface.

The project begins at the east edge of Chinook (near Illinois Street) and ends at the Battle Creek Bridge, six miles east of Chinook and three miles west of Zurich.

This project aims to accommodate future traffic increases and heavy truck travel, enhance safety features, and extend the service life of the roadway.

Project map

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MDT is proposing the following improvements to the project:

  • Widening US 2 to achieve a 40-foot top-width roadway with two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders.
  • Flattening highway side slopes to enhance safety and meet current standards.
  • Replacing 10 bridges and drainage/irrigation structures within project limits.
Project Benefits

Project Timeline

  • Survey Phase, 2020 - 2023
    • Collection of all field data, including environmental, hydrological, soil conditions, utility, and survey information, to guide the design
    • Preliminary design of bridge replacements and the road alignment
  • Design Phase, 2023 - 2024
    • Design the horizontal and vertical alignment of the highway
    • Develop bridge design; existing bridges will be replaced by a combination of new bridges and new large culvert structures (i.e., box culverts)
    • Design irrigation facility replacements and relocations
    • Reconstruction of the existing turn lane at Elloam Road will be included in the design
  • Right of Way Phase, 2024 - 2026
    • Secure all the necessary land to build the roadway
    • Finalize design and prepare detailed plans for construction
  • Anticipated Construction Phase, Beginning 2028

Environmental Factors

Environmental image

The Chinook East project is located in the Milk River, Lodge Creek and Battle Creek floodplains and the design ensures the probability of the highway flooding does not increase. The project also includes wetland mitigation to assist in addressing unavoidable impacts to wetland habitat. Wildlife passage will be improved by installing larger box culverts, including select culverts with increased height to provide more room for wildlife to cross beneath the highway.

Crash history inforgraphic

Impacts to the Public

Right-Of-Way Phase (Minimal Public Impact)

  • Landowners impacted by planned construction can expect to be contacted by MDT Right-of-Way (ROW) for appraisal and negotiation of needed ROW and temporary construction permits along the project.

Construction Phase

  • Expect one-lane traffic with flaggers during normal work hours and two-lanes open during nights and weekends.
  • Several detours built to accommodate the reconstruction of the bridges will reroute traffic onto gravel sections either to the north or south of the existing bridges

UPN 9540000