Committee advances study resolution on US-212 safety and spotty cell service after testimony on crashes and maintenance

The House Transportation Committee voted to advance House Joint Resolution 49, a study-resolution focused on safety and communications along a long rural stretch of U.S. Highway 212.

Representative Jade Soukdis, sponsor, described the corridor from Crow Agency toward Alzada (a multi‑hundred‑mile stretch) and said the community suffers spotty or non-existent cell phone service in long segments, which can delay emergency response. "My biggest problem and my major concern is the lack of communication and how when an incident happens along this highway we're unable to contact police [or] ambulance help," Soukdis said, and she cited committee figures of 611 crashes and 43 fatalities on the corridor over the last 10 years.

Shelby DeMars of Rosebud County supported the resolution and said local governments and tribal representatives participated in a Corridor Safety Action Plan. Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington offered qualified comments: he did not oppose a study but pushed back on some whereas clauses and provided corridor funding and crash breakdowns. Dorrington said, "So between 2006 and 2024, US 2 Twelve's received $34,343,000 worth of construction, total maintenance efforts," and added that a large share of fatal and serious crashes involve impaired driving and lack of occupant protection.

Shane Mintz, Glendive District Administrator (MDT), and John Swartz (MDT maintenance) gave operational detail: rumble strips exist on nearly all of the corridor, shoulders generally measure 4–8 feet with recent rebuilds providing modern designs and a 6-foot shoulder in some segments. Mintz said MDT treats US-212 as a top-priority route in his district and that the route is fully staffed; during major winter events MDT typically fields multiple plows per section and constructs sand storage to support operations.

Committee members asked about broadband and cell deployment; MDT said it works with carriers where possible and expects fiber/broadband buildout over the next 2–5 years to mitigate topographical barriers. Representative Soukdis closed by stressing local urgency and personal ties to crash victims.

In executive action the committee voted 9–5 to pass HJ49 and referred the study to interim processes where the interim transportation committee may prioritize and frame the scope for further work.