Central Federal Lands Highway Division

Media Information
Beartooth Highway

Area Businesses Top Priority in Public Information Program for the
Beartooth Highway Reconstruction Project

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Montana Department of Transportation is leading an effort to reconstruct segments of the Beartooth Highway, or U.S. 212, in northern Wyoming and southern Montana. The Beartooth Highway is considered one of the most beautiful routes in the United States, having been called a scenic wonder, a geologic showplace, and an engineering marvel. Recognizing that local economies depend significantly on tourism generated by the road, the FHWA has developed a Public Information Program to ensure that the impact to area communities is minimized. The program has taken shape since January 2004, and was developed and continues to be refined using extensive input through coordination with Chambers of Commerce members in Red Lodge, Cooke City, and Cody, as well as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and public and private organizations and state agencies in Montana and Wyoming.

Two segments of the Beartooth Highway in Montana and Wyoming are to be reconstructed concurrently over the next few years. The Montana segment is nine miles long, is anticipated to be built in two phases, and extends easterly from the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Montana to the Wyoming state line. The Wyoming segment is 19 miles long, will be built in three or more phases, and extends from Clay Butte Lookout Road easterly over the Beartooth Pass, to the Montana state line. Construction activities on both projects will be controlled so that motorist delays are kept to a minimum. Further, the multi-faceted communication network in the Public Information Program is designed to accurately and rapidly disseminate road construction information to a wide array of sources, so that motorist inconveniences are minimized and more efficient trip planning and travel is possible.

The Public Information Program includes a weekly update called an "E-Blast", a small poster illustrating the delays and closures for the upcoming week that is e-mailed directly to almost 200 people, including state tourism groups and Chambers of Commerce. Local Chambers forward the E-Blast to area businesses that serve visitors. Because the Beartooth Highway is a popular drive for motorcyclists, the update also contains information about weekly roadway surface conditions and is provided to local motorcycle shops. The E-Blast can be accessed at: http://www.cflhd.gov/projects/WYBeartooth.cfm. Those who plan vacations using the internet can quickly learn about construction and traffic control plans. Yellowstone National Park, the Custer, Shoshone, and Gallatin National Forests, state tourism groups, Chambers of Commerce, and the Montana and Wyoming DOTs, all provide a link to the weekly E-Blast update posted on FHWA websites.

Informational road signs displaying the Beartooth Highway All-American Road logo are located strategically on routes leading to the Beartooth Highway, advising motorists of the construction and encouraging them to call a toll-free hotline for details. The toll-free telephone hotline, 1-888-285-INFO (4636), is updated every Monday morning with weekly construction and road condition information. The hotline number is also printed on the E-Blast and small project flyers. The flyers contain summary project information and are available at Chambers of Commerce and local area businesses. Those who visit Yellowstone National Park before heading up to Beartooth Pass will find an insert and map in the Park's newspaper to alert visitors of possible construction delays inside the park and on the Beartooth Highway.

It is the FHWA's goal to provide complete and timely construction information so visitors will not hesitate to drive the spectacular scenic highway. The minor inconveniences resulting from these projects will ensure that safe and efficient access to this spectacular national resource area will be available to future generations for many years without further construction. The Public Information Program will ensure that the projects minimize potential economic impacts to local communities by accurately depicting the reconstruction effort as the minor inconvenience it will be during an otherwise breathtaking journey through the Gallatin, Custer, and Shoshone National Forests. Generally, during the construction season from June through October, night closures of the road are possible between 8:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M., and daytime delays through work zones will be held to a maximum of 30 minutes. For more information about the Beartooth Highway Reconstruction Project, or the Public Information Program, please contact Bert McCauley, Project Manager, at (720) 963-3726.

Please send your questions or comments to CFL.Webmaster@fhwa.dot.gov