October 2023
The engineering firm HDR, Inc. is completing an analysis of two preliminary Montana Highway 78 (MT 78) road alignment options. Findings will be submitted to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) by the end of October. MDT will then use this report and other findings to identify the preferred road alignment. Once identified, the Alignment and Grade Review process will begin, during which MDT will develop a detailed plan on how the new road will fit the existing project area.
This plan will be shared at a future project open house, and the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the project team. An open house is tentatively scheduled for late summer 2024.
Construction on the project is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2026. This timeline is subject to change due to unforeseen factors, such as project scheduling, funding availability, and economic conditions.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
June 2023
The engineering firm HDR, Inc., contracted to assess the environmental impacts of the two preliminary MT 78 road alignment options, is completing its work and will submit the findings to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) team for review by the end of July.
Once MDT’s review is complete and a preferred alignment is identified, work will begin on a detailed plan as to how the new road will curve and slope. This process is called the Alignment and Grade Review.
This detailed plan will be shared at a future project open house and the public will be able to provide feedback to the project team.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
March 2023
A consultant design firm will soon begin a careful assessment of the environmental impacts of the two preliminary road alignment options identified for this section of MT Highway 78 (MT 78.) This assessment is part of the Alternative Analysis process.
Once the preferred alignment is identified, a detailed plan of how the new road will curve and slope will be developed. This process is called the Alignment and Grade Review. This detailed plan will be shared at a future project open house, and the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the project team.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
December 2022
Work on the project is underway once again after a brief pause due to the recent emergency flooding response required by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) team.
The project team’s focus has returned to the Alternative Analysis or the evaluation of the impacts of the two preliminary road alignment options identified for this section of MT Highway 78 (MT 78). Of particular interest are the environmental impacts of each option.
Once the preferred alternative is identified, the rough outline of the road alignment will be refined to detail how the road will curve and slope. This process is called the Alignment and Grade Review. The findings will be shared with the public for feedback at a future project open house.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
August 2022
Due to the recent emergency flooding response required by the Montana Department of Transportation team, progress has slowed on the Curves South of Roscoe project. Progress will pick up again in the near future.
The Alternative Analysis, a rough outline of project plans that identifies and evaluates different plan options, continues to be the project team’s focus.
Two preliminary road alignment options have been identified for this section of Highway 78, pictured below. The impacts of each alignment, particularly the environmental impacts, are being analyzed to determine the preferred alternative.
Once the preferred alternative is determined, work on the Alignment and Grade Review will begin, which further identifies how the road will curve and slope. This review will be shared with the public for feedback at a future project open house.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
Preliminary Road Alignment Options:
April 2022
Currently, work on the Curves South of Roscoe project focuses on the Alternative Analysis, a rough outline of project plans that identifies and evaluates different plan options. Two road alignment options have been specified, and MDT team members and consultants are now analyzing each alignment’s impacts, particularly the environmental impacts, to determine which is the better option. A preliminary outline of the two road alignment options is below.
Preliminary Road Alignment Options:
Once engineers identify the preferred alternative, work will begin on the Alignment and Grade Review that further identifies how the road will curve and slope. This review is due later this year and will be presented to the public for feedback at a project open house.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
January 2022
Much of the survey work for the project is now complete. Over the next month, you may see crews on the project site surveying specific features, such as culverts, stream beds, and underground utilities. Drivers should be mindful and watch for workers, equipment, and signs when traveling through the area.
Environmental specialists have also begun working to minimize the environmental impacts of the project and address specific concerns, such as the wetland areas.
Work on the Alternative Analysis, a rough outline of project plans that identifies and evaluates different plan options, continues to progress. Once engineers identify the preferred alternative, work will begin on the Alignment and Grade Review that further identifies how the road will curve and slope. This review is due for completion this summer.
MDT plans to share the preliminary Alignment and Grade Review with the public at an open house in late summer or early fall, where attendees can give their feedback and ask questions directly to the project team.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
October 2021
Since the last update, the team has completed an aerial survey of the Curves South of Roscoe project site that provided engineers with overhead images, measurements, and other information. Additional onsite survey work is focused on surveying features such as underground utilities, culverts, and the beds of stream channels.
Engineers are also working on the Alternative Analysis, a rough outline of the project plans that identifies different plan options and evaluates the pros and cons of each option. The goal is to determine a preferred alternative by summer 2022.
Information about the project, including the latest plans, will be available for viewing at an open house planned for summer 2022. Open house attendees will have the opportunity to offer feedback and ask questions directly to the project team.
In the meantime, all are encouraged to continue to reach out with feedback and questions. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Sloane at
July 2021
Survey work for the Curves South of Roscoe project is ongoing and anticipated to wrap up next month. This work outlines numerous details about the surrounding land and highway, helping engineers determine the feasibility of different alignments as they move towards creating a straighter road. Once survey work is complete, a new alignment will be chosen and a rough outline of project plans, known as the Alignment and Grade Report, will be developed.
The staff aims to conduct a joint in-person open house showcasing both the Curves South of Roscoe and the Highway 78 – Red Lodge to Luther projects in the spring of 2022. More information will be provided as that time approaches. However, meetings are not the only opportunity to touch base. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Takami at
April 2021
Curves South of Roscoe connects to Highway 78 – Red Lodge to Luther and will straighten the curves near Butcher Creek. Residents may see workers surveying the land in the area this spring. These workers take note of things such as nearby utilities, culverts and ways water is moving, and the geology of the land.
This work is in the beginning stages and a straighter alignment for the road has not yet been chosen. More information on this project and alignment options will be available at the Highway 78 open house later this fall. The public is encouraged to provide feedback at that event and any time prior as well. Towards the start of 2022, this project will begin the alignment and grade review, which solidifies where the new alignment will be.
You are always welcome to reach out with thoughts and questions at any time. Please call 406-207-4484 or email Takami at