High-tension median cable rail project to begin on I-15, I-90 near Butte, Anaconda

Travellers and commuters on Interstates 15 and 90 in the Butte, Helena and Missoula areas will be affected by a high-tension median cable rail installation project that will begin in September.  According to a mailing by Sloane Stinson with the Montana Department of Transportation, work on the I-15 portion of the project in our area will begin south of Butte at the Buxton interchange at mile marker 116 and continue north to marker 134 on the Butte Hill.  On I-90, work will begin at mile marker 219 at the Anaconda Interchange and end two miles east of the Montana Highway 375 and Continental Drive Exit at the base of Homestake Pass.

The cable rail system is being installed for the sake of safety, as it is a "flexible barrier of steel cable mounted to steel posts in the center median that has been proven to reduce the severity of crashes and prevent fatal crashes caused by vehicles crossing the median into oncoming traffic."  The installation is a four-phase project that will also be taking place in the Missoula and Helena areas and in currently under construction in the Bozeman area.  The MDT says that travel impacts will be minimal but that motorists can expect minor delays as well as reduced speeds and single-lane closures in work areas.  Work will be taking place Mondays through Saturdays, occasionally during nighttime hours, and with winter approaching the schedule is subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.  The project is expected to be completed in 2024.

Weekly updates are available by contacting Soane@bigskypublicrelations.com by email, by calling (406) 207-4484 during business hours or by texting MCRBUTTE to 41411.  To learn more about the project, you can go to the project's web page.