This Very Popular Montana Highway Set To Re-Open This Week

This is certainly some good news to share and it's ahead of schedule. One of the most scenic routes in Montana is scheduled to re-open this week.

According to the Montana Department of Transportation, Beartooth Highway will re-open on Friday, July 22nd at 5 pm.

The highway, which will open south of Red Lodge, was closed in June due to severe flooding that damaged and destroyed many roads, bridges, and structures in southwestern Montana, even shutting down Yellowstone National Park for a few days.

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The highway is only open a few months a year, usually from May to the middle of October, and is known for its extreme weather conditions, including snow in the middle of summer. The Beartooth Highway was constructed in 1936 and is a popular choice for those looking for incredible views.

In fact, CBS Correspondent Charles Kuralt, when asked what was the most beautiful highway in the United States, responded with, "The most beautiful road in America is U.S. 212 — the Beartooth Highway."  The road reaches an elevation of over 10 thousand feet, with many twists and turns.

The Beartooth is the only road in Montana that makes the list of America's Byways, which is a group of 150 unique roads. It also has the distinction of being the highest elevated highway in the Northern Rockies. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation:

"America's Byways are gateways to adventures where no two experiences are the same. The National Scenic Byways Program invites you to Come Closer to America's heart and soul"

So fingers crossed all goes well and the Beartooth opens for business, and for those of us looking forward to making that trip, we might want to give it a week or two to let all of those tourists filter through.