Speed limit changed for Highway 135

It’s been two years since the speed limit on Highway 135 was adjusted for safety reasons near Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort, and it’s about to change again.

“The 45 mph distance will be shortened and we agree with this,” said Denise Moreth, general manager of Quinn’s. 

Moreth had spoken to Bob Vosen, Missoula district administrator of the Montana Department of Transportation, and the 2-mile stretch at 45 mph will be reduced to a half mile. The 55 mph at the junction of Highway 200 will remain before the 45-mph zone begins. 

“We feel good about this as the 2-mile stretch is a bit long, and people tend to forget and speed up. I did share with Bob that we had two accidents this past year with no ice or winter conditions involved. One was a car T-boned at the entrance (of Quinn’s Hot Spring Resort) and the other was a semi that did not slow properly and ended up in the ditch,” said Moreth.    

Highway 135 is a 21.5 mile state highway that begins in St. Regis from Exit 33 on I-90 and ends at MT 200 near Paradise. The highway runs along the bank of the Clark Fork River through a portion of the Lolo National Forest and is listed in the Montana's Scenic Historic Byways program. 

The first 7 miles are in Mineral County with the remainder in Sanders County. It is the first route to Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake for east bound traffic on I-90 in Montana.