Montana Highway 56

{{Infobox road

|state=MT

|type=MT

|route=56

|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Montana Highway 56}}}}

|map_custom=yes

|map_notes=MT 56 highlighted in red

|length_mi=34.646

|length_ref={{MDT Road Log|year=2013|accessdate=March 10, 2017}}

|established=

|direction_a=South

|terminus_a={{Jct|state=MT|MT|200}} west of Noxon

|junction=

|direction_b=North

|terminus_b={{Jct|state=MT|US|2}} east of Troy

|counties=Sanders, Lincoln

|previous_type=MT

|previous_route=55

|next_type=MT

|next_route=59

}}

File:Aerial - Bull Lake, Montana 03 - white balanced (10329240274).jpg

Highway 56 in the U.S. state of Montana is a route running in a northerly direction from an intersection with Montana Highway 200 between Noxon and Heron at an area locally known as "Bull River Junction", about {{convert|10|mi|km}} east of the Idaho state line. The highway extends approximately {{convert|35|mi|km}} to a northern terminus at an intersection with U.S. Route 2, about {{convert|3|mi|km}} east of the town of Troy. The highway passes through a forested, mountainous landscape, and travels along the eastern shore of Bull Lake; the Cabinet Mountains are to the east. The entire route is within the boundary of the Kootenai National Forest. Highway 56 is known locally as the "Bull Lake Road" and "Bull River Highway".{{cite map|url=http://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/docs/2007_2008_mt_highway_map.pdf|title=Official 2007-2008 Montana Highway Travel Map|publisher=Montana Department of Transportation|accessdate=2007-12-08}}

History

Before receiving its current designation in 1978, Highway 56 was designated as Montana Secondary Highway 202.{{cite map |year=1977 |title=The Official Montana 1977 Highway Map |scale=1 inch = 22 miles |cartography=H.M. Gousha Company |url=https://mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/maps/HWYMAP_1977_FT.PDF |publisher=Montana Department of Transportation |accessdate=November 5, 2021}} The valley is a rarity in that drainage occurs in opposite directions, as Bull River runs south to the Clark Fork River and Bull Lake drains into Lake Creek, which continues north into the Kootenai River.

Major intersections

{{MTint

|county=Sanders

|location=Noxon

|mile=0.000

|road={{Jct|state=MT|MT|200|city1=Thompson Falls|location2=Spokane}}

|notes=Southern terminus of MT 56}}

{{MTint

|county=Lincoln

|location=Troy

|mile=34.646

|road={{Jct|state=MT|US|2|city1=Troy|city2=Libby}}

|notes=Northern terminus of MT 56}}

References

External links

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