Big Sky considering roundabout to help address traffic congestion

Big Sky, Montana – It’s no secret that Big Sky experiences some traffic at the junction of Montana Highway 64 and U.S. Highway 191. However, others think there might be a way to solve it, and one way would be to build a roundabout to aid with traffic at this crossroads.

“I think they should leave it as is. Yeah. I don’t think a roundabout is going to help anything,” says Barry Hukill.

Hukill has spent 22 years at Big Sky. He thinks a roundabout will just make matters worse because he knows the route to Big Sky well.

“I think it’s going to cause mass confusion and people already have trouble knowing how to use them,” says Hukill.

The possible roundabout at this juncture is being discussed as part of an optimization effort to make Highway 191 between Four Corners and Big Sky better. According to Spencer Dodge, strategic project manager at engineering consulting firm HDR, a roundabout would be an excellent and reasonably priced solution for reducing traffic congestion.

“The roundabout really kind of stood out as far as, you know, really utilizing the dollars that are available, enhancing safety and really improving traffic and making sure that we’re moving people back and forth,” says Dodge.

According to Dodge, the roundabout places the least burden on the infrastructure geographically when compared to other possible upgrades, such as an elevated highway.

“This is something that is really implementable early on and can kind of impact, you know, the issues at hand,” says Dodge.

Dodge claims that they will keep gathering feedback from the public regarding the roundabout. There is no fixed budget because the project is still in the early phases of negotiation. For locals like Barry, however, the crossroads ought to remain exactly as it is.”I think this is going to confuse more people,” says Hukill.