GALLATIN COUNTY - For weeks, the Bear Canyon area along Interstate 90 has been closed, creating headaches for residents and minor delays for drivers detouring off and back onto the highway.
For those who live right next to the closure, the inconvenience is more than just a few extra minutes behind the wheel.
WATCH: Bear Canyon Residents faced with delays
“You just have to build a lot more time into your day to travel around because you’re going the back roads,” said Marci Torres, who has lived on Bear Canyon Road for 12 years.
Torres said she’s been driving the road even more lately.
“I have three kids, so basically I’m like a chauffeur taking the kids to sports and stuff,” she said. “I spend a lot of time in the car these days.”
When residents like Torres try to get on I-90, they’re blocked in both directions.
“They have it blocked off going east and west,” she said.
The closure stems from a Jan. 21 incident in which a commercial vehicle attempted to drive under a bridge, colliding with and damaging the structure. Since then, the area has been shut down.
“So it’s really inconvenient,” Torres said.
The detour adds considerable time to daily travel. Anyone in Bear Canyon who wants to head east on I-90 must drive about 5 miles back into Bozeman to the Main Street on-ramp, then head roughly 5 miles back east to where they started.
“Planning about 10 to 15 minutes extra on both sides of the drive — even going to the grocery store,” Torres said. “We used to be able to jump on 90 and get off on Main Street.”
The closure is also affecting the small LeMotte School on Bear Canyon Road.
“We have 64 students currently at the school. They are coming from far distances. Our out-of-district students come as far as Belgrade or Livingston,” said administrative assistant and district clerk Leah Nusse, who has worked at the school for three years.
Nusse says the situation is especially challenging because the school has no bus system.
“Parents are responsible for bringing their kids to school and picking them up every day,” she said.
The extra travel time is causing some issues for families driving in from farther.
“Some folks need a few extra minutes, so they’re planning in the morning — causing a few tardies here and there,” Nusse said.
Montana Department of Transportation District Administrator Geno Liva said the bridge will not be repaired until mid-April. He also confirmed the agency is in contact with the semi-truck driver involved and will be filing claims with the driver’s insurance.
For residents like Torres, April feels a long way off.
“I would hope that they do something with how the flow of traffic goes through to Livingston — that would be helpful,” she said. “And at least with how they relay information to the neighbors. I know that would be something I would appreciate.”
