Montana Highway 87 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Montana Highway 87
MT 87 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDT
Length	8.571 mi (13.794 km)
Existed	October 9, 1922–present
Major junctions
South end	SH 87 at Idaho state line
North end	US 287 west of Quake Lake
Location
Counties:	Madison
Highway system
Montana Highways ← US 87 US 89 →

Montana Highway 87 (MT 87) is a primary state highway in Madison County in Montana, United States. The highway travels through mainly rural areas in Raynolds Pass, from the Montana–Idaho state line to an intersection with U.S. Route 287 (US 287). The route travels through a portion of Gallatin National Forest. In 1922, a road in the location of MT 87 was added to the highway system, and a few years later the road was designated as portions of two early auto trails. In 1959, the route was rapidly improved due to the collapse of US 287 nearby. During 1967, much of the highway was reconstructed along its current location.

History

On October 9, 1922, a road located in the general location of MT 87 was added to the Montana State Highway system. By at least 1924, an auto trail known as the Banff Grand Canyon Road ran along the highway in the general location of MT 87. The next year, the highway had been given a graded dirt surface, and was designated as part of the Great White Way auto trail, as well as the Banff Grand Canyon Road. Between 1925 and 1927, the auto trail designations were removed from the stretch of highway near present-day MT 87. By 1937, the main highway had been shifted north of the location of MT 87, and had been numbered as State Highway 1. A road remained in the location of MT 87, although it was unnumbered. This road had also been extended several miles northward to Lyon.

A portion of US 287 that collapsed along Hebgen Lake

By 1951, the highway had been reconstructed generally along MT 87's present location, and it had been upgraded to an improved gravel road. In 1959, the road in the location of MT 87 was rapidly improved in order to serve as an alternate routing to U.S. Route 287. Portions of US 287 around Hebgen Lake collapsed and crumbled as a result of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake. After US 287 was fixed, the highway's importance decreased. In 1962, the portions of the highway from the southern terminus to present-day milepost 8.395 were reconstructed along the current location. In 1967, the rest of the highway was reconstructed along the present location. By 1987, the highway had been numbered as MT 87. The route had also been paved.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Roads intersected	Notes
Fremont	​			SH 87 south	Continuation into Idaho
Raynolds Pass		0.000	0.000	Idaho–Montana state line
Madison	​	8.571	13.794	US 287
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Bibliography