“It's a long and complicated story, Highway 93,” Robert McDonald, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes said.
Highway 93 is a vital route for many rural communities in Western Montana, including the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
"The highway is vitally important to connecting us to governmental services,” McDonald said, “Doctor's appointments, I mean, our elders getting to the pharmacy when needed to daycare, education..."
While small improvements have been made over the years, many projects like Post Creek Hill and Nine Pipe Eagle Pass Trail were delayed until a 2023 Neighborhood Access and Equity Fund grant was awarded for $75 million.
“These sections of, of Highway 93,” Mcdonald says, “They weren't the first projects we did because they weren't the easiest.”
With construction set to begin in 2026, the funds for the projects were rescinded after the Big Beautiful Bill passed.
“We were told, very recently that those funds will not be available,” McDonald said.
The Montana Department of Transportation says this combined project is more complex and requires a larger budget.
"There's two areas of kettle ponds that we're going to have additional box culverts and small bridges,” Matt Straub with Montana Department of Transportation said, “And a 500 ft long wildlife bridge over Crow Creek, which was designed to help facilitate grizzly bear movement across the highway."
Despite funding setbacks, officials say their commitment to improving the route will continue.
“We did allocate about $10 million of that nearly $75 million,” McDonald said, “so that is still in play going toward, Planning and development of what was the project, but the funds that we're going to execute it to completion are not there.”
“US (Highway) 93 remains to be a MDT (Montana Department of Transportation) priority, and we're going to reassess the funding opportunities to get this project funded,” Straub said.
With available funds, officials plan to continue construction and remain optimistic about securing additional grants to complete the entire project.
