Blue Slide Road open to all traffic

Blue Slide Road is open to all traffic following stabilization work. At the beginning of May, a section of the road was closed after heavy rain and snowmelt caused Cougar Creek to overflow and wash out gravel beneath the pavement. Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) worked to quickly open the road to one lane of traffic. Since then, contractors have been working to stabilize the road, and MDT reported that Saturday morning conditions were safe enough for motorists to travel on both lanes.

"Construction went well, and quicker than we had anticipated," said Brandon Coates with RBCI, a consulting firm working with MDT on the project.

Engineers are now reviewing long-term improvements that will prevent the runoff from affecting the road again. Coates said that once design plans are set, a community open house will be planned to inform the public. Coates said they are hoping for the open house in July, with construction to begin shortly after that. The project should be complete by the end of the year, Coates said.