Rush Hour: Keep speed through gravel detour, officials say 

EBS STAFF 

Big Sky commuters crawled on Monday and Tuesday through the Little Coyote Road pedestrian tunnel work zone.  

Some traffic may be inevitable, but one simple fix could tone it down, according to project manager Nate Peressini: drivers must keep their speed through the short gravel detour.  

The detour, Peressini says, is designed for vehicles to maintain speed of 25 miles per hour.  

But as Tuesday morning traffic backed up down U.S. Highway 191, many vehicles took extra caution and bottlenecked the work zone. He expects that as drivers become familiar with the site, they will become comfortable and keep some speed.  

Project officials are working to improve communication and signage to reduce the bottleneck.   

“It’s a temporary inconvenience for a global, safer and improved route,” Peressini added, describing the pedestrian tunnel. “As long as everybody keeps that bigger picture in mind.” 

For daily commuters, which often creates traffic jams even without TIGER Grant construction, Peressini suggested leaving a few minutes earlier to beat the rush.  

“People know when it’s busy and when it’s not,” he said.  

Project updates 

Anyone can sign up for weekly text updates by texting MT64PROJECT to 41411.  

Questions and comments can be emailed to Kristine Fife, public relations representative for the project. The MDT’s project hotline can also be reached at 406-207-4484, during regular business hours.    

Weekly construction updates will be posted on the project website.