Three Feet of Snow this Week Has Delayed Opening of Beartooth Highway, MT/WY

The opening of the 10,947-foot Beartooth Highway to the Montana-Wyoming state line has been delayed thanks to recent May storms that dumped over three feet of snow on the mountain pass this week, reports the Billings Gazette.

• Related: VIDEO: Crews Encounter 18 Foot Tall Drifts While Clearing The Beartooth Highway In Montana

The 67-mile long highway will be open to the Vista Point rest area Friday morning, then weather permitting, crews in Montana and Wyoming expect to have the road open to the state line by Saturday morning. 

“It’s all weather permitting, and those conditions change very quickly,” said Lori Ryan, a public information officer with the Montana Department of Transportation.

Crews have been working to clear the road since April, a huge annual task that involves road maintenance, guardrail repair and replacement, and clearing snow drifts up to 40-feet.