U.S. Route 287 in Montana

U.S. Route 287 (US 287) is a north-south United States Numbered Highway in the state of Montana. It extends approximately 281.2 miles (452.5 km) from Yellowstone National Park north to U.S. Route 89 in Choteau, 100 miles (160 km) south of the Canadian border.

U.S. Highway 287 marker

U.S. Highway 287

US 287 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDT
Length281.183 mi[1] (452.520 km)
Existed1965–present
Tourist
routes
Lewis and Clark Trail
Major junctions
South endYellowstone National Park at West Yellowstone
Major intersections
North end US 89 in Choteau
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountiesGallatin, Madison, Jefferson, Broadwater, Lewis and Clark
Highway system
US 212 MT 287

Route description

US 287 north of Yellowstone National Park

US 287 in Montana begins at the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park concurrent with US 20 and US 287, at the edge of the town of West Yellowstone. Some commercially produced maps show US 287 going through Yellowstone National Park; however, it officially has a gap inside the park and resumes in Wyoming at the South Entrance, concurrent with US 89 and US 191. A few blocks into West Yellowstone, US 20 leaves the US 191 / US 287 concurrency and heads west towards the Targhee Pass and Idaho. The highway heads north, running concurrently with US 191 for 8 miles (13 km) before it heads west for 22 miles (35 km), passing along the north shores of Hebgen Lake and Earthquake Lake, to Montana Highway 87 (MT 87). US 287 turns north-northwest and follows the Madison River for 40 miles (64 km) to Ennis, where it intersects MT 287, and continues north for 16 miles (26 km) to Norris, where it intersects MT 84. It continues for 19 miles (31 km) to MT 2, just north of Sappington, where it turns east and the two routes share a ten-mile (16 km) concurrency. At Three Forks Junction, MT 2 leaves US 287 and heads east towards Three Forks, while US 287 turns north and travels for 1+14 miles (2.0 km) to I-90.

US 287 heads north for 30 miles (48 km) to Townsend, where it merges with US 12, and the two routes travel northwest for 44 miles (71 km) to Helena. On the east side of Helena, the combined route intersects I-15, where US 287 continues north on I-15 and US 12 heads west through downtown Helena. US 287 follows I-15 for 25 miles (40 km), and exits I-15 northeast of Wolf Creek and heads northwest. It travels for 18 miles (29 km) to MT 200, 20 miles (32 km) to MT 21 (about 1+12 miles (2.4 km) north of Augusta), and 25 miles (40 km) to Choteau where it ends at US 89.[1][2]

US 287 is one of three highways in Montana numbered '287', the other two being Montana Highway 287 (MT 287) and Montana Secondary Highway 287 (S-287). Both routes are accessible to US 287, with MT 287 intersecting it in Ennis, while S-287 intersects MT 2 in Three Forks, about 3 miles (5 km) east of US 287.

History

US 287 was originally designated as Montana State Highway 287 (MT 287). The Montana State Highway Commission first assigned the MT 287 designation in 1958 to a cross-state route from Yellowstone National Park at West Yellowstone to the Canada–United States border at the Piegan–Carway Border Crossing between Babb and Cardston, Alberta. MT 287 ran concurrently with US 191 for 8 miles (13 km) north from West Yellowstone and replaced MT 1 from US 191 to US 10S near Sappington. The route joined US 10S—along the modern Interstate 90 (I-90) corridor—to its junction with US 10 and US 10N near Three Forks. MT 287 continued with US 10N north and west to Helena, then the route ran concurrently with US 91 (along the modern I-15 corridor) to Wolf Creek. MT 287 replaced MT 33 between Wolf Creek and Choteau, then the highway ran concurrently with US 89 through Browning to Canada.[3][4] After the Hebgen Lake earthquake in 1959, which destroyed part of the highway along that lake and created Quake Lake, MT 287 was temporarily rerouted to the highway north from Raynolds Pass.[4][5]

In 1961, MT 287 was rerouted and replaced MT 34 from Ennis to Twin Bridges, ran concurrently with MT 41 to north of Silver Star, and replaced S-401 north to US 10 at Whitehall. MT 287 continued east with US 10 to rejoin its previous route west of Three Forks. The portion of the highway between Ennis and the US 10 junction became MT 287A.[6][7]

In 1965, the US 287 designation was extended north from Denver, Colorado along its present alignment, replacing sections of MT 287 south of Ennis and north of Sappington, as well as all of MT 287A; the MT 287/US 89 concurrency north of Choteau was also dropped.[8][9] The Montana Highway Commission requested the extension following lobbying from the U.S. Highway 287 Association and prior rejections from the AASHO, seeking a direct connection to either the Canadian border or Glacier National Park.[10]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
GallatinYellowstone National Park−2.1−3.4West Entrance RoadContinuation into Wyoming; US 20 resumes at Yellowstone National Park's East Entrance; US 191/US 287 resume at the park's South Entrance
0.0000.000Yellowstone National Park West EntranceSouthern end of state maintenance of US 20/US 191/US 287 concurrency
West Yellowstone0.3650.587
US 20 west (Firehold Avenue) Idaho Falls
Northern end of US 20 concurrency
8.72214.037
US 191 north Bozeman
Northern end of US 191 concurrency
Madison31.14750.126
MT 87 south Raynolds Pass, Ashton ID
62.473100.541
S-249 north
Ennis71.563115.169
MT 287 west Virginia City, Sheridan
Norris87.858141.394
MT 84 east Bozeman
Harrison98.044157.787
S-283 west Pony
99.618160.320
S-359 west
Gallatin
No major junctions
Jefferson106.407171.245
MT 2 west Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, Butte
Southern end of MT 2 concurrency
BroadwaterThree Forks Junction116.146186.919
MT 2 east Three Forks
Northern end of MT 2 concurrency
117.418188.966 I-90 / Lewis and Clark Trail Butte, BillingsI-90 exit 274
127.281204.839
S-437 north
Toston136.938220.380
S-285 west Radersburg
Townsend147.873237.979
US 12 east White Sulphur Springs
Southern end of US 12 concurrency
Lewis and ClarkLouisville168.716271.522
S-284 north
East Helena175.622282.636
S-518 south Montana City
Helena191.602308.354192
I-15 south Butte


I-15 BL north / US 12 west (Prospect Avenue) – Helena (Capitol Area)
Northern end of US 12 concurrency, southern end of I-15 concurrency, exit numbers follow I-15
181.113291.473193
I-15 BL south (Cedar Street)
181.809292.593194Custer Avenue
187.876302.357200 S-279 / S-453 (Lincoln Road)
196.914316.902209Gates of the Mountains
203.781327.954216Sieben
207.008333.147219Spring CreekNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
214.564345.307226 S-434 Wolf Creek
216.363348.202228
I-15 north / Lewis and Clark Trail Great Falls
Northern end of I-15 concurrency
Bowman's Corner236.785381.069 MT 200 / Lewis and Clark Trail Lincoln, Great Falls
Augusta254.967410.330
S-435 south (Main Street)
256.401412.637
MT 21 east Great Falls
Teton262.423422.329
S-408 east Fairfield
Choteau281.183452.520 US 89 (Main Avenue) / Lewis and Clark Trail Glacier National Park, Great FallsUS 287 northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. Road Inventory and Mapping Section (2019). Montana Road Log (PDF). Helena: Montana Department of Transportation. pp. 6–7, 72–74, 90, 179–181, 242. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  2. Montana Department of Transportation (2019). Montana Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Helena: Montana Department of Transportation. §§ C4-E4, E5-I5. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  3. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1958). Map of the Montana State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1958 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  4. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1959). Map of the Montana State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1959 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  5. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1960). Map of the Montana State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1960 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  6. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1961). Map of the Montana State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1961 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  7. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1962). Map of the Montana State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1962 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  8. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1965). Montana Highways (PDF) (Map) (1965 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  9. Montana State Highway Commission; Rand McNally & Company (1966). Montana Highways (PDF) (Map) (1966 ed.). Helena: Montana State Highway Commission. §§ G4–G5. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  10. "Highway Commission Seeks Extension of U.S. 287". Independent Record. Helena, MT. April 27, 1965. p. 3. Retrieved September 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com.
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