Montana Highway 67

Montana Highway 67
State	MT
Type	MT
Route	67
Length mi	2.8
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Interstate 90
Direction b	North
Terminus b	U.S. Route 93
Counties	Missoula County

Montana Highway 67 is a short state highway in Missoula County serving as a connector between Interstate 90 and U.S. Route 93 near Missoula. The route provides local access to Fort Missoula, Missoula International Airport, and nearby residential and industrial areas, and it links to regional corridors used by travelers between Spokane and Bozeman as well as freight moving toward Portland and Seattle. The highway is managed by the Montana Department of Transportation and lies completely within the Missoula urban area near the confluence of the Clark Fork River and Bitterroot River.

Route description

The route begins at an interchange with Interstate 90 just east of Lolo National Forest and proceeds northward past Fort Missoula, traversing mixed residential and industrial zones before reaching its terminus at an intersection with U.S. Route 93 south of downtown Missoula. Along its alignment the highway parallels local arterial streets that serve University of Montana campus traffic and provides proximity to facilities associated with Missoula County Airport operations and the Missoula County fairgrounds. Roadway features include at-grade intersections controlled by signals near commercial nodes, a segment with turning lanes serving freight traffic bound for BNSF Railway spurs and connections to US Forest Service access points into the surrounding public lands such as Rattlesnake Wilderness. The corridor also crosses minor tributaries to the Clark Fork River and interfaces with municipal transit routes serving Mountain Line stops.

History

The corridor was established as part of Montana’s postwar state highway network expansion managed by the Montana Department of Transportation to improve connectivity between Interstate 90—completed in Montana during the 1960s—and primary north–south routes such as U.S. Route 93. Early alignments served military needs at Fort Missoula and timber and mining industries tied to regional centers like Conner, Montana and Missoula County lumber mills. Over the decades the route saw incremental improvements linked to federal programs under administrations including the Dwight D. Eisenhower era Interstate expansion and later funding waves from legislation associated with the Federal Highway Administration and federal transportation bills administered alongside the United States Department of Transportation. Significant rehabilitation projects were timed to coincide with urban growth in Missoula and regional economic shifts toward service, education, and tourism anchored by institutions such as the University of Montana and events like the Missoula Marathon.

Major intersections

The highway’s principal termini and junctions include an interchange with Interstate 90 on the southern end, an intersection with local arterials that tie to Fort Missoula and Missoula International Airport, and a northern terminus at U.S. Route 93 which provides continuing connections to Kalispell and Hamilton. These intersections facilitate access from regional routes such as Montana Highway 200 and link freight routes serving BNSF Railway yards and regional distribution centers servicing markets in Idaho Falls and Spokane.

Traffic and usage

Traffic volumes on the route reflect a mix of commuter, commercial, and airport-related trips, with peak flows influenced by events at Fort Missoula and academic calendars from the University of Montana. Vehicle classification counts show an elevated percentage of light-duty vehicles juxtaposed with steady medium- and heavy-truck percentages tied to industrial activity in Missoula County and freight movements toward I-90 and US 93. Seasonal tourism to destinations like Lolo National Forest and recreational access to the Rattlesnake Wilderness also produce notable weekend and summer spikes, tracked in routine surveys conducted by the Montana Department of Transportation and reported to the Federal Highway Administration traffic monitoring programs.

Maintenance and improvements

Routine maintenance and pavement preservation are performed under state contracts managed by the Montana Department of Transportation, with pavement overlays, drainage upgrades, and signal modernization timed according to asset-management plans influenced by federal funding from the United States Department of Transportation and performance targets set by the Federal Highway Administration. Rehabilitation efforts have incorporated safety improvements such as improved signage conforming to standards from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and intersection realignments to reduce conflict points identified in traffic studies produced in coordination with the Missoula County planning authorities and City of Missoula transportation planners.

Future plans and proposals

Planned actions for the corridor emphasize incremental capacity improvements, multimodal access enhancements to support transit and bicycle facilities promoted by Missoula County active-transportation initiatives, and targeted safety projects funded through state and federal grant programs overseen by the Montana Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Proposals under consideration aim to better integrate the route with regional freight strategies tied to Port of Seattle and Port of Portland gateway planning, while local stakeholders including University of Montana representatives and Missoula County officials evaluate measures to mitigate congestion associated with growth in Missoula and expanding tourism to nearby public lands.

Category:State highways in Montana