MDT details near-term and 2026 safety upgrades for Montana Avenue after pedestrian strike near Capitol

The Montana Department of Transportation outlined immediate and longer-term safety measures for the Montana Avenue corridor near the Capitol Complex after a pedestrian was struck at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Montana Avenue. Director Chris Dorrington told the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee in Helena that maintenance crews completed several immediate actions the day of the incident and that a funded highway safety project is planned for construction in summer–fall 2026.

In the short term, MDT maintenance flagged crossings with high-visibility orange flagging the same day the incident occurred and contacted Northwestern Energy to restore street lighting; Dorrington said all luminaires along the corridor are now operational. MDT has inventory for larger advanced crosswalk signs (48-by-48 inches, LED-bordered and solar-powered) and Dorrington said the department will install those signs “this week.”

Dorrington described the planned, funded safety project as the product of a corridor study that recommended reviewing pedestrian and vehicle volumes, speed and crash data and installing enhancements at intersections including 9th Avenue, 8th Avenue, 5th Avenue and Breckenridge. Recommended devices include rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) to alert motorists when a pedestrian activates a crosswalk. Dorrington said a center median ‘‘resting place’’ or refuge will be installed in the four‑lane section to improve pedestrian visibility when crossing a multi-lane roadway.

“The project is funded. It currently is planned for construction in the summer fall of 26,” Dorrington said, adding that MDT examined options to accelerate the work but cannot skip survey and design phases that remain incomplete. He also emphasized cost-conscious choices: infrastructure installed now can be reused elsewhere if final project plans change.

Steve Biamonte, general services administrator for the Department of Administration, described a separate, city‑led traffic calming proposal for perimeter streets around the Capitol campus that would convert some city streets (Lockheed and 6th) to one-way travel with angle parking and bike lanes to create a “campus feel.” Biamonte said that short-term elements (LED sign installation and maintenance fixes) were being implemented immediately, but the broader traffic‑calming plan is on hold pending further information about the new Heritage Center/museum and additional public feedback; he said funding is not the current constraint and that city council approval would be required for changes to city streets.

Committee members asked about design consequences for snow‑plow operations, the feasibility of speed bumps and rumble strips, and whether an agreement existed with Northwestern Energy to maintain street lighting. Dorrington said the proposed center island likely would not be raised or vegetated so snow‑plow operations can continue; he also said MDT has an agreement with Northwestern Energy on luminaire maintenance and replacement. On speed bumps, Dorrington cautioned that raised devices can hinder snow removal and that design standards in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) limit allowable traffic control devices.

MDT continued to coordinate with the Capital Complex and the city of Helena on the engineering project and said re-striping work and additional visibility treatments would precede the full construction project. Committee members accepted the briefing and the hearing concluded with no committee action required.