Delays expected on Lolo Motorway

Forest visitors planning to travel the scenic Lolo Motorway (Forest Service Road 500) may expect traffic delays up to four hours, beginning Monday.

Road crews will begin maintenance on the road segment between Castle Butte Lookout and Liz Butte. The work is expected to last through September, according to a news release from the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.

The delays are aimed to improve public safety by graveling soft surfaces prone to erosion and rutting and upgrading the drainage on the narrow, winding route.

The delays will begin at the Saddle Camp pit on Saddle Camp Road (Forest Service Road 107) up to the Motorway and progress from east to west. The road will be open for travel from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. and closed intermittently from 8 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Brandon Knapton said the project is a response to local, regional and national partners who have expressed concerns that the road was in disrepair. Great American Outdoors Act funds are being used for the project.

The work is a continuation of maintenance started last year when protruding boulders were pulverized to smooth rocky sections of the road. It also follows the installation of digital kiosks and improved signage.

The project is part of the Forests’ historic routes initiative that highlights the history and recreational opportunities around the Lolo Motorway, Elk City Wagon Road and Magruder Corridor.