Interstate 15 in Montana

Interstate 15 marker

Interstate 15
Route information
Maintained by Montana Department of Transportation
Length: 397.50 mi[1] (639.71 km)
Major junctions
South end: I15 at Idaho state line
  I90 in Butte
I115 in Butte
US 287 in Helena
US 89 in Great Falls
US 2 in Shelby
North end: Hwy 4 at Canadian border near Sweetgrass
Highway system

Montana Highways
Secondary

MT 13MT 16

In the U.S. state of Montana, Interstate 15 continues onward from Idaho for nearly 400 miles (640 km) through the cities of Butte, Helena and Great Falls, intersecting with Interstate 90, Interstate 115 and Interstate 315. Interstate 15 reaches its northern terminus at the international border with Alberta, Canada.

Interstate 15 joins with I-90 and makes a junction with a short, one-mile (1.6 km) spur route Interstate 115 in Butte.

Route description

I-15 crosses into Montana from Idaho just south of Lima Reservoir, before the route continues northwest through farmland and desert. The freeway turns north at Clark Canyon Reservoir, before turning northeast. In the town of Dillon, I-15 passes near Clark's Lookout State Park before beginning to parallel the Big Hole River. The freeway then turns away from the river, continuing northeast along Divide Creek through the desert, before splitting away from the creek and heading north. I-15 eventually merges into I-90 at a trumpet interchange.[2]

I-15 and I-90 run concurrently through the city of Butte, coming first to an interchange with I-115, signed as Business Loop 15 and Business Loop 90. I-15 and I-90 pass through a green area in the middle of the city, before I-15 splits off to the northeast on the eastern end of the town. The freeway goes through the forest and plains north of I-90 before winding along Bison Creek and later the Boulder River. I-15 passes through the town of Basin before leaving the mountains and providing access to Boulder. Paralleling Beavertown Creek, the road winds through the hills before passing through Jefferson City. The freeway continues into Helena, where I-15 intersects US 12 and runs concurrently with US 287 through the outskirts of the city before continuing north through the plains.[2]

I-15 and US 287 continue along Little Prickly Pear Creek before passing through the town of Wolf Creek after several miles. Northeast of there, US 287 continues north, while I-15 runs close to the Missouri River. The freeway provides access to Cascade and then continues through the plains through Ulm before turning northeast into the city of Great Falls. I-315 and US 89 intersect with I-15 at a trumpet interchange, and US 89 continues north and then northwest along I-15 for a few miles before continuing to the west. I-15 continues northwest through farmland before passing near Dutton and Brady, and the city of Conrad. US 2 intersects I-15 in the town of Shelby. The freeway continues through the town of Sunburst before becoming Alberta Highway 4 at the Canadian border just north of Sweetgrass[2]

From Helena to Sweetgrass at the Canadian border, Interstate 15 is dedicated as a memorial highway to the First Special Service Force.

Exit list

CountyLocation[3]mi[3]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Monida Pass0.0000.000 I15 continues south towards Idaho Falls
0.5090.8190 S-509 Monida
Beaverhead 9.54415.3609Snowline (ranch access)
Lima15.18524.43815Lima
Dell23.83238.35423Dell
 29.60947.65129Kidd
 37.35360.11437Red Rock
 44.45471.54244 S-324 west – Clark Canyon Reservoir
 51.19982.39751DalysSouthbound exit and northbound entrance only
 52.61384.67252Grasshopper Creek
 56.02890.16856Barretts
 59.70296.08159 S-278 west / S-222 Jackson, Wisdom
Dillon62.440100.48762 I15 Bus. north Dillon
63.813102.69763 I15 Bus. south / MT 41 Dillon
 75.046120.77574Apex, Birch Creek
 85.272137.23285Glen
MadisonMelrose93.188149.97293Melrose
Silver Bow 99.266159.75399Moose Creek Road
 102.515164.982102 MT 43 west Wisdom
 111.271179.073111Feely
 116.361187.265116Buxton
 119.970193.073119Hub Access – Silver Bow
 121.462195.474121 I90 Missoula, ButteSouth end of I-90 overlap
 122.491197.130122Rocker
Butte124.319200.072124 I115 / I15 Bus. / I90 Bus. – City Center
126.343203.329126Montana Street
127.961205.933127Harrison Avenuesigned as exits 127A and 127B eastbound
129.498208.407129 I90 BillingsNorth end of I-90 overlap; I-15 numbered as exit
Jefferson 134.061215.750134Woodville
 138.698223.213138Elk Park
 151.226243.375151Bernice
 156.391251.687156Basin
 159.831257.223160High Ore Road
 164.406264.586164 MT 69 Boulder
 175.576282.562176Jefferson City
 181.575292.217182Clancy
 187.161301.206187 S-518 (Sec-282) Montana City
Lewis and ClarkHelena189.986305.753190South Helena, Nob Hill area
191.602308.354192 I15 Bus. north / US 12 / US 287 south Townsend, Capitol AreaSouth end of US 287 overlap
192.772310.236 I15 Bus. south (Cedar Street)
199.535321.120200 S-279 / S-453 (Lincoln Road)
 208.573335.666209Gates of the Mountains
 215.440346.717216Sieben
 218.667351.910219Spring CreekNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
 226.223364.071226 S-434 Wolf Creek
 228.022366.966228 US 287 north Augusta, ChoteauNorth end of US 287 overlap
 233.698376.100234Craig
Cascade 239.817385.948240Dearborn
 243.533391.928244Canyon Access
 246.807397.197247Hardy Creek
 249.531401.581250Local Access
 254.042408.841254 MT 68 Cascade
 255.555411.276256 MT 68 Cascade
 269.495433.710270 S-330 Ulm
Great Falls276.889445.610277Great Falls International Airport
278.063447.499278 I15 Bus. north / US 89 south / MT 200 east (10th Avenue South, I-315 east, MT 3 south)South end of US 89/MT 200 overlap
279.652450.056280 I15 Bus. south to US 87 north (Central Avenue West)
281.631453.241282 To US 87 north / Northwest BypassSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
 285.509459.482286Manchester
 289.607466.077290 US 89 north / MT 200 west Missoula, ChoteauNorth end of US 89/MT 200 overlap
 296.752477.576297Gordon
Teton 301.528485.262302 S-431 Power
 311.672501.587313 S-221 / S-379 Dutton, Choteau
 319.467514.132321Collins Road
Pondera 326.128524.852328 S-365 Brady
 333.507536.727335 I15 Bus. north (Midway Road) Conrad
Conrad337.358542.925339 I15 Bus. south Conrad
 343.245552.399345 S-366 (Ledger Road) – Tiber Dam
 346.250557.235348 MT 44 (Valier Road)
 350.259563.687352Bullhead Road
Toole 356.788574.195358Golf Course Road, Marias Valley Road
Shelby361.350581.536363 I15 Bus. north / US 2 Shelby, Cut Bank
 362.601583.550364 I15 Bus. south Shelby
 367.118590.819369Bronken Road
 371.114597.250373Potter Road
 377.123606.921379 S-215 / S-343 Kevin, Oilmont
 383.128616.585385Swayze Road
Sunburst387.677623.906389 S-552 Sunburst
 391.930630.750394Ranch Access
 395.770636.930397Sweetgrass (S-214)
 396.030637.349Canadian border
Roadway continues north as Hwy 4
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. "Route Log- Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Google (December 22, 2013). "Interstate 15 in Montana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Staff (2011). Montana Road Log (PDF) (Report). Montana Department of Transportation. p. 2-8. Retrieved December 21, 2013.

External links

Route map: Bing

Interstate 15
Previous state:
Idaho
Montana Next state:
Terminus