Others have characterized it as invaluable. Conservation Area Manager Mark Ahner said. There's another 120 acres just north of the Interstate. At Belgrade, when the Montana Department of Transportation wanted to expand the Interstate 90 interchange there, it had to cross state land. Then DNRC went a step farther.
Land abutting a highway interchange is valuable, but only if travelers can reach it easily.
So the agency asked DOT to design the ramp in a way to facilitate access. Leasing the land to businesses like that would mean a lot more money in the Montana public school system. Ahner gave an example. Just south of the interchange lies the 28 acre parcel near the Holiday Inn. It's not out in the country any more,'' he said, and would make a nice special events center or golf course.