BILLINGS — Montana Department of Transportation crews are clearing snow off of the Beartooth Pass as the highway nears opening.
The iconic stretch of road is open during the summer months, and the agency targets the Friday before Memorial Day weekend to open every year.
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Billings Maintenance Chief Walt Houghton said that his crew is right on schedule.
"Mother Nature is going to do what Mother Nature does," Houghton said Thursday morning as he showed MTN the progress. "But we try to be open. That way everyone can come up and enjoy their time here. This year, we should be just fine."
Houghton said that this year's snowfall was moderate — helping make their job a little easier.
"This year's been pretty light," Houghton said. "It's about what it was last year."
Red Lodge Supervisor Duane Reisig said the job always gets done on time, even on years when it's more challenging. This year, they began working on April 14.
"Even in heavy years when we've got a lot of snow, we've always opened," Reisig said. "A lot of people look forward to this."
And Reisig isn't wrong. The highway is a big attraction for tourists visiting Montana, offering a scenic route from Red Lodge to Cooke City.
"There's people that come all the way from the East Coast," Houghton said. "I mean, they make family plans around it. It's kind of cool having something like this out your backyard."
The additional traffic brought in by the pass also has a huge benefit for the local economy.
"It helps all of the businesses here in town," Reisig said. "It's a big deal."
With the opening day fast approaching, the crew is looking forward to crossing that annual finish line.
"They've been plowing all winter," Houghton said. "They're ready to be done with the snow."
Reisig said the finalized feeling never gets old.
"Oh yeah," Reisig said with a laugh. "We're up here pretty constantly for weeks, so it's a good feeling."
