Rumors of a new nearly 1800-mile Interstate Highway linking Port Arthur, Texas with Choteau, Montana have been racing around social media for weeks. Now, we learn the bill–at lease, is for real. It’s Senate Bill 4484, proposed by
Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis back on May 11th. It’s called “I-47 Future Interstate Act of 2026”. It should be noted that Sen. Cornyn was defeated in his primary reelection bid earlier this month.
Here’s what we know: the new I-47 would expand US-287 across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. As an interstate highway, it would transform US-287 into a limited access roadway, meaning there would be limited entrances and exits. It would expand the entire length of 287 into 4-lanes, slicing through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including along the shore of Hebgen Lake on into West Yellowstone.
The bill–in its present form, doesn’t make allowances for funding or effects on the ecosystem…just for starters. And what about the community along its route? It would be a long process getting approval for such a long highway transiting so many states and localities.
