Gallatin County’s I-90 will soon have new signage to deter cars traveling the wrong way

Bozeman, Montana – In less than three months, four people have been arrested for driving the wrong way on I-90 near Bozeman, one of whom murdered a woman.

Although new wrong-way signs have been ordered by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), will this address the problem?

“Right now, the four, I think it’s been alcohol-related. And I am getting a little frustrated with the community,” says Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, explaining that in all of these recent wrong-way driving incidents, alcohol is the leading cause.

“This is an intoxication issue. People need to stop driving when they’re intoxicated. Servers need to stop serving people when they’re intoxicated,” Springer stressed.

On November 24, 2023, a man was detained and charged with reckless driving on I-90 between Bozeman and Belgrade, allegedly posing a threat to 37 other cars.

On Sunday, December 3, 2023, another individual was taken into custody for reportedly driving westward in the eastbound lanes of I-90 at the same area.

On January 4, 2024, Laysa Grewell, 22, was killed when an automobile traveling the wrong way struck her head-on on I-90 close to Three Forks.

The Montana Highway Patrol reports that charges against the motorist are anticipated as part of an ongoing investigation into that incident.

The latest event happened on February 3, 2024, when a guy was taken into custody while driving east on I-90 in the westbound lanes close to Manhattan.

Springer notes that even though drunk driving appears to be the primary cause of these wrong-way events, the MDT is still taking action to try and reduce the number of wrong-way driving incidents on that particular stretch of I-90.

“Right now, MDT, working with them they have ordered the signage that should be coming in the next 8 to 10 weeks,” Springer says.

At four interchanges, the nine new wrong-way signs will be put in place. I-90 and 287 at Wheat Montana, Manhattan, Amsterdam, and Belgrade are the places.

“They have a radar on them so if they start going the wrong direction, the signs start to flash and light up,” Springer says, explaining the new features of these wrong-way signs.

According to Springer, the construction of these wrong-way signs is the quickest method to see improvements on the roads for the time being, but they are merely the first steps towards a much greater problem.