Montana State Highway 37 (MT 37) is a
state highway in the
US state of
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
. It begins in downtown
Libby, Montana at
US 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...
and takes a meandering course northeastwards upstream along the
Kootenai River and the eastern shore of
Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa () is a reservoir in British Columbia (Canada) and Montana (United States) formed by the damming of the Kootenai River by the Libby Dam in 1972. The Dam was formally dedicated by President Gerald Ford on August 24, 1975.
The la ...
before terminating at
U.S. Route 93 at the northern end of
Eureka, Montana
Eureka (Kutenai language: ʔa·knuk̓inʔis) is a town in Lincoln County, Montana, United States, south of the Canada–US border. The population was 1,380 at the 2020 census. The town's mayor is LeeAnn Schermerhorn.
Geography
Eureka is locat ...
. Previously, MT 37 also followed
US 93
U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south numbered highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at US 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln Coun ...
from Eureka into
Whitefish and turned down what is now
MT 40
Montana Highway 40 (MT 40) is a state highway in Flathead County, Montana. It connects U.S. Route 93 (US 93) south of Whitefish to US 2 west of Columbia Falls.
Route description
MT 40 begins at US 93 on the southern outskirts of Whitefish and ...
towards
US 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...
and
Glacier National Park until at least 1942.
Route description
Highway 37 begins at an intersection with
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...
in downtown
Libby, Montana, and heads northeast. It crosses the
BNSF Railway tracks just west of the
Libby Amtrak station, and passes the site of the former
vermiculite
Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral which undergoes significant expansion when heated. Exfoliation occurs when the mineral is heated sufficiently, and commercial furnaces can routinely produce this effect. Vermiculite forms by the we ...
export plant
before crossing the
Kootenai River and taking a more easterly course. The road follows the river upstream into a narrow, tightly winding canyon, running parallel to the railroad on the opposite bank. It suddenly turns south near the former vermiculite mine and passes by its former processing plant site.
Soon, the road turns east again, then crosses the Kootenai once more and abruptly heads north, parting ways with the now southbound railroad. The road starts to gain elevation and, once it passes the eastern abutment of
Libby Dam
Libby Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the northwestern United States, on the Kootenai River in northwestern Montana. Dedicated on it is west of the continental divide, upstream from the town of Libby.
At in height and a length of , Libby Dam c ...
, it follows the eastern shore of
Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa () is a reservoir in British Columbia (Canada) and Montana (United States) formed by the damming of the Kootenai River by the Libby Dam in 1972. The Dam was formally dedicated by President Gerald Ford on August 24, 1975.
The la ...
, hugging the sides of the former canyon as it winds its way north to
Rexford. It bypasses the town to its south as the road turns east, passing over a former railroad alignment a few miles later, before turning east one last time amidst farmland to terminate at
U.S. Route 93, at the northern end of
Eureka
Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
{{commons category-inline, Montana Highway 37
037