Interstate 90 West - St. Regis to Lookout Pass

DeBorgia, a community of less than 100, is the next destination along Interstate 90 west in 14 miles. Spokane, Washington appears for the first time on I-90 distance signs at 131 miles out.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 separates again with the waters of the St. Regis River flowing in between on the one mile approach to Exit 30 with Two Mile Road.

09/01/06

A modified diamond interchange (Exit 30) is sandwiched between steep hillsides at Two Mile Road. Two Mile Road follows the course of Twomile Creek southwest to Newman Peak (elevation 5,571 feet).

09/01/06

A fishing access ramp utilizes a portion of old U.S. 10 along the north banks of the St. Regis River. Interstate 90 crosses the waterway twice on a 1981-alignment to the west.

09/01/06

The site of Drexel is the next westbound exit in two miles. Eastbound motorists see ramps (Exit 26) with Ward Creek Road to Newman Peak along this stretch.

09/01/06

Truckers are advised to reduce their speed to 45 miles per hour through a series of curves encircling the base of Boyd Mountain (elevation 5,338 feet).

09/01/06

One half mile southeast of the Exit 25 diamond interchange with Drexel Road on I-90 west.

09/01/06

Drexel Road connects Interstate 90 at Exit 25 with an adjacent Fishing Access area.
Drexel was a siding along the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 continues to hug the hillside just above the St. Regis River to Henderson. The river flows between the two roadways just north of Exit 25.

09/01/06

Two 1979 bridges span the St. Regis River on the one mile approach to the diamond interchange (Exit 22) with Mullan Gulch Road at Henderson.

09/01/06

Exit 22 departs Interstate 90 west for Mullan Gulch Road, which meanders 12.7 miles around Boyd Mountain to MT 135 in St. Regis. Cabin City Campground of Lolo National Forest resides just 1.5 miles to the east.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 lines the St. Regis valley between Henderson Hill and Up Up Mountain (elevation 5,965 feet).

09/01/06

Old U.S. 10 emerges from under Interstate 90 along Deborgia Haugan Frontage Road as the freeway nears the Exit 18 diamond interchange at DeBorgia.

09/01/06

Westbound at the Exit 18 ramp departure to Thompson DeBorgia Road at DeBorgia. Deer Creek Road and Coker Lane tie into the interchange from the west while Thompson DeBorgia Road climbs onto Brooks Mountain (elevation 5,699 feet) as National Forest Road 378.

09/01/06

Old U.S. 10 (DeBorgia Haugan Frontage Road) continues adjacent to Interstate 90 to the settlement of Haugan.

09/01/06

Big Creek Road crosses paths with Interstate 90 at the Haugan interchange (Exit 16) in one mile.

09/01/06

Westbound at the Exit 16 diamond interchange with Big Creek Road. Big Creek Road connects with adjacent old U.S. 10 at Haugan to the north while leading south toward the Savenac Historic U.S. Forest Service Nursery and McGee Peak (elevation 6,316 feet).

09/01/06

Heading west from Haugan, motorists approach a weigh station residing between the west and eastbound roadways in one mile.

09/01/06

Saltese is the last settlement along Interstate 90 in Montana in five miles. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is now just 78 miles away.

09/01/06

Passing by the left side entrance ramp to the truck weigh station outside Haugan.

09/01/06

Leaving the weigh station, Interstate 90 climbs through a valley north of Haugan Mountain (elevation 4,764 feet) and south of Cruzane Mountain (elevation 4,856 feet).

09/01/06

Saltese resides in a narrow valley nestled between Cruzane Mountain and Petes Point (elevation 5,302 feet). A diamond interchange joins Interstate 90 with the community at Exit 10.

09/01/06

Drivers bound for Saltese and Silver Creek Road leave Interstate 90 at another crossing of the St. Regis River. A short stretch of old U.S. 10 remains in use as a frontage road nearby.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 switches sides with the St. Regis River again on the exit of Saltese. The St. Regis flows 32 miles from Lookout Pass to the Clark Fork river at St. Regis.

09/01/06

Mullan, Idaho lies 16 miles west along Interstate 90 beyond Lookout Pass. Wallace follows that city on the 73 mile drive to Coeur d'Alene.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 approaches the site of Bryson, a former siding of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Northern Pacific Railroad, in the valley between Hemlock (elevation 5,659 feet) and Saltese (elevation 5,535 feet) Mountains.

09/01/06

A set of rest areas serve both directions of Interstate 90 just west of Taft and Exit 5. This is the last area for westbound drivers until after Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

09/01/06

One half mile east of the Exit 5 diamond interchange at Taft. Taft, like Drexel at Exit 25 and Bryson, is a former railroad siding.

09/01/06

Entering the Bitteroot Mountains as Interstate 90 west reaches the Exit 5 off-ramp to Taft and the Hiawatha mountain bike Trail.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 reaches the final rest area in Montana just west of Exit 5. The facilities line a valley south of Taft Peak (elevation 5,968 feet) and north of Bald Mountain (elevation 6,017 feet).

09/01/06

Leaving the rest area, motorists see the final shield assembly for Interstate 90 west in Montana.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 climbs from around 3,600 feet above sea level near Exit 5 to 4,680 feet at Lolo Pass. The increase in elevation may necessitate snow chains during inclement weather, so a chain-up area exists at milepost four.

09/01/06

The scene westbound near milepost three of Interstate 90 and Brimstone Creek.

09/01/06

One mile south of a folded diamond interchange (Exit 0) at Lookout Pass.

09/01/06

Interstate 90 through Lookout Pass widens to accommodate a truck brake check area just beyond the Exit 0 on-ramp. The freeway descends over 1,300 feet from the pass into Mullan, Idaho.

09/01/06

Exit 0 loops away from Interstate 90 west to Lookout Pass Ski Area on adjacent Runt Mountain (elevation 5,535 feet).

09/01/06

Posted at the truck brake check area is a diagrammatic sign displaying the 6% downgrade into Mullan, Idaho. Trucks are restricted to 50 miles per hour on the descent from Exit 0 to the return of Mullan's Business Loop I-90 near milepost 68.

09/01/06