BELGRADE - Coming in from Washington State, the U.S. Freedom Convoy will be making its way through Montana, stopping at the ‘Flying J’ in Belgrade on Wednesday, Mar. 2, 2022.
Belgrade Police Chief, Dustin Lensing, got the confirmation late last week that the convoy will be stopping in Belgrade at around 4pm.
“They’re coming regardless, so we have to plan for that,” Lensing said, “We’ve already begun to coordinate with Missoula -since they are the first stop in the state, so they can forward some information to us.”
The convoy should be making its way to town at 4 pm, stopping at the Flying J Truck Stop, Lensing said. Those wishing to travel on Jackrabbit Lane, crossing over the interstate may be met with road closures, delays, or a traffic stop.
“I would leave as early as you can, we’re really planning on people doing a lot of their travel an hour—hour and a half—before this event takes place,” Lensing said.
The department has detailed several alternate routes to ‘bypass’ Jackrabbit Lane, such as 299 I-90 exit Airway Boulevard, Valley Center Road, Thorpe Road, and Frontage Road.
It is difficult for the department to predict how many vehicles will be joining the convoy, but Lensing and his team is predicting for around 300.
“These events are kind of hard to plan for, but we do like to plan for a worst-case scenario and if it ends up being a smaller event—at least we’re not behind ‘the eight ball’,” Lensing said.
The convoy is predicted to impact traffic around the Flying J Truck stop for about two hours, and those traveling through should expect delays.
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