August 2026
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), Morrison-Maierle (MMI), and the City of Belgrade continue to prioritize the development of the Jackrabbit – Madison to Main – Belgrade Urban (Belgrade Urban) project, which will widen a highly trafficked section of Jackrabbit Lane and construct a railroad underpass on the roadway near Main Street. The design team greatly appreciates the thoughtful feedback received during the project open house this past spring and encourages those who were unable to attend or who would like a refresh on project elements to view event materials on the project webpage.
Since the open house in April, the project has reached the 60% design milestone. At this stage, the project is more fully developed, giving MDT and project consultants a clearer idea of anticipated area impacts.
The proposed right-of-way will be staked the last few weeks of August. MDT right-of-way activities will follow shortly. If your business or property will be impacted by the Belgrade Urban project, an MDT representative or contracted appraiser will be in touch with you directly.
Further updates will be provided as additional design milestones are reached and construction approaches. Construction remains on schedule to begin in 2029, depending on completion of design and availability of funding.
MDT's Belgrade Urban project moved to a new text service on August 1. To sign up for updates on the new service, text BELGRADE to 406-302-9922.*
*Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. Text STOP to unsubscribe. Texting alerts are not managed by MDT and may have different privacy and security policies. For more information, see this site.
Project Overview
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has contracted with Morrison-Maierle to design the Jackrabbit – Madison to Main – Belgrade Urban project that is currently in the preliminary design phase. Design work is ongoing and is anticipated to continue through 2028.
Building a good road takes time, and MDT is moving project development along as swiftly as possible. The timelines are contingent on factors such as funding availability, right of way activities including negotiations and acquisitions, utility relocations, and development of multiple Belgrade area projects. More details are included below.
Belgrade residents have seen their community grow in many ways within the past few years. Coupled with development throughout the Gallatin Valley, there are several outstanding infrastructure needs that must be met. To provide long-term solutions to meet these needs, MDT plans to widen a half-mile stretch of the highly trafficked Jackrabbit Lane and construct a railroad underpass by Main Street as part of the Belgrade Urban project.
Currently, this area has limited capacity roadways, no sidewalks, and congestion that increases during times of train travel. This baseline is not appropriately serving the community’s needs. It has not kept pace with the growth of the community and cannot accommodate Belgrade’s projected development.
The Belgrade Urban project will begin at the intersection of Jackrabbit Lane with Madison Avenue and extend to Main Street. Along this corridor, the existing three-lane road will be transformed into a five-lane facility, with two lanes of travel in each direction, in addition to a center turn lane. A railroad underpass will also be constructed to allow vehicles to travel under the railroad tracks on Jackrabbit Lane without stopping. New curbs and gutters will be installed, and sidewalks will be added, bringing this stretch of roadway into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Periodic updates will be provided via email, text, and this webpage as progress continues.
For regular project updates:
- Email: Contact Becca at
- SMS texting: Text BELGRADE to 41411. We also offer text updates. To sign up, text BELGRADE to 41411. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. Text STOP to cancel. Texting alerts are not managed by MDT and may have different privacy and security policies. For more information, see: https://smstc.us/t41411/ [smstc.us]
- Project hotline: 406-207-4484 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UPN 9057000