Employment : Quick Tour : On the Road
Building and maintaining Montana's Highways is a multiphase process that involves years of research, planning, design, engineering and budgeting.
Planning
During the planning phase, MDT
- develops the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) each year to identify all planned, federally funded, transportation-related projects
- prepares a long-range construction program that addresses statewide transportation needs
- keeps the public involved in the planning process
- incorporates factors such as environmental impacts, safety issues, community input, and traffic patterns into the planning process
Building
Once the planning phase is complete, staff in the Engineering Division coordinate the project. Building a road involves
- preparing the construction packet for the contractor's bid
- managing construction work
- monitoring the project during construction
- ensuring that all materials meet rigid test criteria
- conducting formal post-construction reviews
During highway construction projects, MDT employees oversee construction, work closely with the contractor, conduct construction surveys, inspect construction work, and monitor traffic control. MDT's five district offices—Billings, Butte, Glendive, Great Falls and Missoula—provide these services within each geographic area.
Maintaining
MDT's Maintenance Division uses 122 crews to maintain 25,000 lane miles of roads. In addition to maintaining major roads, maintenance staff provide the following information to the traveling public:
- a travel information web site providing current conditions at 60 sites across the state
- photographic images of current conditions at key locations
- rest area information
- weather forecasts
- winter travel and summer construction information
Continue...
