Gallatin County Seeks Input on Draft Engineering Report for Intersection Improvements

For immediate release: July 15, 2025

Media contact:
Scott Randall, Robert Peccia & Associates
srandall@rpa-hln.com
406-447-5005

Gallatin County Seeks Input on Draft Engineering Report for Intersection Improvements

Gallatin County has released the Draft Preliminary Engineering Report for the Gallatin County Intersection Improvements Project, which evaluates potential improvements at three critical intersections on County roads between Belgrade and Bozeman:

Alaska Road South / Cameron Bridge Road

Alaska Road South / East Valley Center Road

Love Lane / Durston Road

These intersections are located within the rapidly growing triangle area between Belgrade and Bozeman, where increased traffic volumes and suburban development have heightened safety and operational concerns. The report provides a detailed evaluation of existing conditions, identifies key safety and congestion issues, and presents improvement alternatives for each intersection. A tiered approach was undertaken to evaluate potential alternatives and determine a preferred configuration for each intersection.

KEY FINDINGS AND OUTCOMES

Love Lane / Durston Road: A roundabout is recommended as the preferred alternative, offering substantial long-term safety benefits, operational efficiency, and strong community support.

Alaska Road South Corridor: Roundabouts are recommended at the Cameron Bridge Road and East Valley Center Road intersections to improve safety, ensure consistent design, enhance operational performance, and promote cost-effectiveness through economies of scale.

Preliminary Design: To position Gallatin County for upcoming discretionary grant funding opportunities, preliminary design efforts were advanced for the Alaska Road South corridor and associated intersections.

PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD

Gallatin County invites the public to review the draft report and submit comments during the 30-day public review period ending August 13, 2025. After reviewing and addressing all comments, the final report will be presented to the County Commission for approval.

The Draft Preliminary Engineering Report can be reviewed online at: https://rpa-eng.com/gallatin-intersections/.

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS

Comments can be submitted at any time to the project manager, Scott Randall, via email at srandall@rpa-eng.com, by phone at 406-447-5005, or by mail at 3147 Saddle Drive, Helena, MT 59601. 

FUNDING

While no funding has yet been identified to design and construct the improvements recommended in the report, Gallatin County is actively seeking grant funding and remains committed to pursuing opportunities to advance these critical safety improvements. Last month, the County Commission adopted its first Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Action Plan, focused on reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries and improving safety for all roadway users across the County. The data and preliminary designs developed through the Gallatin County Intersection Improvements Project helped strengthen and support a more competitive application to the SS4A implementation grant program, where the County is seeking funding to implement priority safety improvements, including a roundabout at Alaska Road South / Cameron Bridge Road.

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