GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is developing the Central Montana Transportation Study to guide long-term transportation planning in response to anticipated impacts from planned development and military activities in the region as part of the U.S. Air Force Sentinel program, based at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
The Sentinel program is a modernization effort designed to replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system — updating not just the missiles themselves, but the infrastructure and command systems that support them.
The 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom is responsible for 150 launch facilities – the unmanned silos where missiles are located; and 15 missile alert facilities – where military personnel monitor and operate the system. They’re spread across a 13,800-square-mile missile field that covers parts of eight counties: Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis & Clark, Meagher, Teton, and Wheatland.
To support the project, leaders are planning two “workforce hubs,” one in Great Falls and one in Lewistown. Each will be around 50 to 60 acres and include housing, dining, medical, and recreational facilities for work crews. Between the two locations, they will host more than 2,000 temporary workers – with up to 3,000 at the peak of construction.
The study focuses on infrastructure resiliency in the Great Falls and Lewistown areas, as well as MDT routes within the following counties: Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Pondera, Teton, Toole, and Wheatland.
MDT will host two open houses to provide an update on the transportation study, share findings to date, and gather public feedback on preliminary recommendations.
Attendees will have an opportunity to review exhibits and speak with study representatives. No formal presentation will be given, and both events will feature the same format and information. The public is invited to attend at their convenience.
Lewistown
Tuesday, May 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Civic Center, 309 5th Avenue South
Great Falls
Wednesday, May 20, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Civic Center Gibson Room, 2 Park Drive South
Starting on May 7, MDT is also hosting an online open house, which will include a summary of the same information provided at the in-person events. To participate in the online open house, click here.
Public input is an important part of the planning process. Comments may be submitted at the open houses, online by clicking here, or by contacting Jackson Lang at 406-444-3246 or jlang@mt.gov. Please reference the Central Montana Transportation Study in your comments.
Any person with a disability needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in this activity or an alternative accessible format of this notice should contact MDT’s ADA Coordinator Matt Maze at mmaze@mt.gov, 406-444-5416, or Montana Relay Service at 711.
Requests for an accommodation to participate should be made by May 12, 2026. MDT will attempt to honor requests made after this date.
