Belgrade Road Projects Raise Concerns For Local Businesses Ahead Of 2028-29 Work

Belgrade, Mont. — Belgrade residents and business owners got a closer look at planned traffic projects as the Montana Department of Transportation shared new updates at a public meeting.  

The open-house style event, hosted at the Belgrade Library, took place from 4-7p.m. on Wednesday, April 22nd.  

MDT went over design details and construction plans for several road upgrades expected in the coming years.  

One of the main projects on the horizon - the Belgrade Intersection Improvement Project - focuses on improving traffic flow.  

Plans also include a new roundabout at Main and Broadway in Belgrade, widening Jackrabbit Road and adding an eastbound left-turn lane and a reconstructed right-hand turn lane at Amsterdam Road.  

For some small business owners in Belgrade, the changes raise concerns about access and parking downtown. 

“We’re losing all of our, especially the folks on Broadway, we’re losing all of our parking” said Tina Ekola, owner of Fezziwig's Montana Mercantile. “And, if they have to park a block or two away, they’re not going to come down and see me” she said. 

MDT says that within their project planning, they have considered how construction could affect the public as it planned for the work.  

“During the construction phase in particular, we’ve very intentionally thought about the sequencing of these projects and laid them out according to what we believe will be the least amount of impact that’s possible to the public” said Brandon Jones, project development engineer with MDT. 

Other small business owners say they wanted community needs to stay at the center of the planning process. 

“I would hope that anything that we do in a town this size is in service of the actual community that lives and works here. The people that depend on these businesses, the people that patron these businesses, and the people that run these businesses, it all has to work together” said Nina Scott, owner and tattoo artist at The Lone Sparrow Tattoo Shop.  

The meeting served as a preview of the work ahead, and a chance for the public to weigh in on these changes.  

Construction is not expected to begin for a few years, with projects set to start in 2028 and 2029.  

Further details on the Belgrade Intersection Improvement Project can be found here.