Interstate 15 Business (Great Falls, Montana)

Interstate 15 Business
Route information
Business route of I-15
Maintained by MDOT
Existed:	1960s[1] – present
Major junctions
South end:	I‑15 / I‑315 / US 89 / MT 3 / MT 200 in Great Falls
	US 89 / MT 3 / MT 200 in Great Falls
North end:	I‑15 / US 89 / MT 200 in Great Falls
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Montana Highways Secondary ← US 312 S-315 →

Interstate 15 Business is a Business loop of Interstate 15 in Great Falls, Montana, USA. The route links I-15, which bypasses downtown Great Falls to the west, to the center of Great Falls. As its Business Loop designation implies, I-15 Business terminates at I-15 (concurrent with U.S. Route 89 and Montana Highway 200 through western Great Falls) at each end. The southernmost 0.83 miles (1.34 km) of the route from the interchange with I-15 to Fox Farm Road is designated, but not signed, as Interstate 315.^[2] It is the second shortest interstate in the country; only the unsigned Interstate 878 is shorter.

Route description

I-15 Business begins at I-15 exit 278 a short distance west of Great Falls. Here, US 89 and MT 200 separate from I-15 and merge with I-15 Business. Additionally, Montana Highway 3 begins at the interchange and follows the three routes to the east. Just east of the interchange with I-15, BL 15 interchanges with 14th Street. The Interstate Highway-standard conditions come to an end a short distance to the east at an intersection with Fox Farm Road.^[3] Here, the 0.83-mile (1.34 km)^[4] I-315 (designated along BL 15 from I-15 to Fox Farm Road) comes to an end^[5] while BL 15, US 89, MT 3, and MT 200 continue across the Missouri River into downtown Great Falls.^[3]

First Baptist Church, in the city center on 2nd Ave.

Within downtown, the four routes remain concurrent along 10th Avenue South to the parallel one-way couplet of 5th and 6th Streets. BL 15 northbound separates from US 89/MT 3/MT 200 at 6th Street, following the street northward through the city to the one-way 2nd Avenue North near the city center. BL 15 turns to the west, following 2nd to Park Street, then Park south to Central Avenue, where BL 15 northbound rejoins the routing of BL 15 southbound. Between Central Avenue and 10th Avenue South, BL 15 southbound is routed along 1st Avenue North east to 5th Street South, then 5th south to 10th Avenue.^[3]

BL 15 follows Central Avenue to the west, crossing the Missouri River once more as it exits downtown. After several intersections with local streets, BL 15 terminates at I-15 exit 280. Central Avenue, however, continues westward from the exit.^[3]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Great Falls, Cascade County.

mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
0.000	0.000	—	I‑15 / US 89 north / MT 200 west – Helena I‑315 begins / MT 3 begins	West end of I-315, US 89, MT 3, and MT 200 overlaps
0.335	0.539	0	14th Street Southwest
0.828	1.333		I‑315 ends / Fox Farm Road, 6th Street Southwest	East end of I-315 overlap
2.256	3.631		5th Street South (southbound)	One-way street
2.341	3.767		US 89 south / MT 3 south / MT 200 east (10th Avenue South)	East end of US 89, MT 3, and MT 200 overlaps, I-15 Bus. turns onto 6th Street South (one-way street)
3.177	5.113		1st Avenue North (eastbound)	One-way street
3.252	5.234		2nd Avenue North (westbound)	One-way street
3.664	5.897		Park Drive
3.730	6.003		1st Avenue North
5.834	9.389		I‑15 / US 89 / MT 200 – Shelby
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. "Kurumi entry (I-115 to I-515)". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
2. "Interstate 315 Montana @ Interstate-Guide.com". Retrieved 2007-09-24. (has pictures showing that I-315 is signed as BL 15)
3. The Road Atlas '07 (Map). Rand McNally. 2007. p. 61. § M16 and N16.
4. "Route Log and Finder List - Interstate System: Table 2". FHWA. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
5. Great Falls - Cascade County (PDF) (Map). Montana Department of Transportation. 2001. Retrieved 2007-09-24.