I-90's last messy week
Morning. The valley wakes up hazy and near 90 again — a whiff of wildfire smoke in the air and the Belgrade-to-Bozeman construction limping toward its finish line, just in time for one more week of single lanes. On deck: tonight's meeting on the future of Bozeman Creek, a downtown chef headed for Bobby Flay, and two festivals staking out the same August weekend. Coffee first. Here's your five.
The Belgrade-to-Bozeman interstate rebuild is almost done — and this week is the last annoying stretch.
All summer, MDT and contractor Riverside Contracting have been redoing about 6.3 miles of I-90 from just east of the Belgrade Airway Boulevard interchange (Exit 299) east to the North Rouse railroad overpass — the daily-commute stretch for half the valley, torn up since work began April 13.
The heavy lifting is behind us: the bridge decks over Valley Spur Road are rebuilt and the width restriction there is gone, and the overnight ramp work at North 19th Avenue (Exit 305) and North 7th wrapped earlier this summer. The state's latest update puts crews at the finish line, with one job left: chip seal, the layer of gravel-and-oil that seals the new pavement. That's the catch. Starting Thursday (July 23), expect single-lane traffic in each direction and reduced speeds across the whole stretch while it goes down — roughly a week of it, daylight hours only, because the surface needs warm temperatures to cure.
Then a pause: crews come back in 30 to 45 days to lay the permanent epoxy stripes. So if the lines look temporary in August, they are. The one number to keep: 6.3 miles, and after this week's slog, they're finally yours again.
Two city boards meet this week, and both are about the Bozeman of 2036, not next spring.
Tonight (Monday, July 20), the Community Development Board takes up the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan — the city's effort to reimagine the creek that runs under downtown, from its ecological health to flood risk to whether you can actually walk along it. No vote's on the table; the board is reviewing what the public said it wants, the engagement summary from a plan the commission made a priority in 2024 and hired designers for in January. It starts at 6 p.m.; written comment goes to comments@bozeman.net by noon.
Looking ahead: Thursday (July 23), the Urban Parks and Forestry Board gets its first look at the draft 2026 Urban Forest Management Plan — the document that will steer how the city plants, prunes and protects the tree canopy as the town keeps growing.
A downtown Bozeman kitchen is headed back to national TV: Whistle Pig Korean co-owner Emma Eunbee Woods will square off against Bobby Flay on Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay" on Aug. 11 — her third turn on a cooking competition after winning an episode of "Chopped" and finishing runner-up on "Guy's Grocery Games." The over/under on Flay attempting bulgogi: high.
Montana's income tax could go flat. Senate Republican leaders are backing Gov. Greg Gianforte's push for a single 4.7% rate to replace the current top rate of 5.4%, with Senate President Matt Regier requesting a bill draft last week for the 2027 session. One analysis pegs it at about $130 million less in annual state revenue by 2028; Democrats call it reckless. Nothing's drafted yet — but this is the fight that decides your next state tax bill.
A straight one from the park next door: a 65-year-old man was tossed about eight feet and seriously hurt by a bull bison at Yellowstone's Bridge Bay Campground on July 10, and experts say the animals are deep into mating season into late August. The park's rule is 25 yards from bison and elk — and witnesses said the man was keeping his distance when it charged. Give them even more room this month.
Near 90 and hazy again Monday
, with "patchy smoke" in the NWS forecast — summer doing its campfire impression. Running the trails or biking to work? Check the air-quality reading first.
- Monday (July 20): author Betsy Gaines Quammen talks with historian Tiya Miles at Country Bookshelf about her new book, "This Haunted Land," 6 p.m. downtown.
- Tuesday (July 21): the Bozeman Farmers Market sets up at Lindley Park, 5–8 p.m. — produce, food trucks and a band, the good midweek reset.
- Wednesday (July 22): the Bozeman Film Society screens Prince's concert film "Sign O' the Times", 7 p.m.
- Wednesday (July 22): Art Walk on Peet's Hill, 7:30–9:30 p.m., free — art with the sunset over town thrown in.
- Thursday (July 23): Music on Main takes over Main Street, the free street party in its 26th year, running through Aug. 7.
The Gallatin's holding near 690 cfs at the Gateway gauge and the Yellowstone is still pushing about 3,840 at Livingston — fishable water, unfishable afternoons. With highs near 90 and FWP's hoot-owl restrictions still in force on six area rivers plus the Madison closure, the play hasn't changed: be on the water at first light, land them fast, and let the rivers sit out the hot part of the day.
Mark the first weekend of August — Bozeman is throwing two parties at once.
Sweet Pea, the valley's big arts festival, runs Aug. 7–9 at Lindley Park, and pre-sale weekend wristbands are $40 now versus $60 once it opens (kids 12 and under free). Meanwhile the SLAM arts-and-music festival returns to Bogert Park on Aug. 8–9, free. Two parks, one weekend, zero excuses to stay in.
One summer of orange cones later — was the Belgrade-to-Bozeman rebuild worth the detours?
Reply with a sentence (add "print it" to share yours), and tell us the stretch you'll be happiest to have back. We read every one.