Chris Dorrington, the Director of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), maintains a long-held personal philosophy that can be summed up in three words: People. Mission. Values.

“Overall, I am guided that a people-first approach wins in the end,” Dorrington said. “I honor the people who come to work every day, and the hard work and care they put into their duties. I believe in and live our sound agency mission to plan, build, operate, and maintain a safe and resilient transportation system to move Montana forward.”

Dorrington also said that his people adhere to a common set of values that honor their work and all those who are affected as they fulfill their mission.

“Our agency’s values include safety, accountability, customer service, leadership, clear communication, sound decision-making and respectful disagreement, and the pursuit of excellence,” he said.

Dorrington’s first mentors were his parents, who taught him to work hard, strive for better, and never compromise on the quality of what can be accomplished. There have since been others, “but George Mathieus is among the top,” he said. “He served for over 20 years in Montana, finishing his career as the Deputy Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality [DEQ]. Through his mentorship, I improved my ability to serve and lead with compassion.”

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“I have to say I have learned as much or more from the people I have led as those I have followed,” Dorrington added. “People are often so insightful if you pause and listen.”

“Chris Dorrington is a change-maker,” Governor Greg Gianforte said while announcing Dorrington’s appointment in June 2024. “Bringing his previous experience at the agency and exceptional ability to lead, I have total confidence in him as he takes the reins at MDT. I appreciate his willingness to serve in this new capacity after his successful tenure at DEQ.”

Prior to his service as DEQ’s Director, Dorrington led its Air, Energy, and Mining Division for four and a half years. From 2006 to 2016, he led the MDT Planning Division. Dorrington holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Gonzaga University and a master’s degree in transportation policy, operations, and logistics from George Mason University.

Dorrington’s daily schedule is full, but he seems to thrive on its relentless pace.

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“Weekly, I have structured and unstructured time, lots of meetings within my agency and with stakeholders to recognize and solve challenges,” he said. “I welcome each week, however, by holding a leadership team meeting with my senior leaders. In this meeting, we open with recognition of agency employees who have demonstrated success, or have pressed in and solved challenges, or served citizens. We then rotate weekly in sharing leadership lessons.”

Confronted by a host of challenges, Dorrington feels his greatest is to clearly steer his agency through “and into the next chapter of deeply challenging infrastructure projects, funding uncertainty, and sustained public demand for on-time, on-budget, high-quality projects completed safely. That encompasses a lot, I know. But I would certainly be remiss if I did not advocate for stable, long-term funding solutions that support our rural states, providing reliable and efficient movement of our travelers and commerce.”

The public today is well-informed and can quickly access information and rally around a cause. Social media, Dorrington pointed out, can at times be hard to keep up with.

“This demands of us a thoughtful approach, well-communicated decisions, advanced planning for quality information sharing, and then well-planned and executed agency steps forward,” Dorrington said.

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Balancing home and office can be difficult for someone at his level of responsibility, but Dorrington has developed what he terms as “quite a knack” for compartmentalizing.

“Whether that’s a good thing or not is yet to be decided,” he said. “But when I go home and turn work off, I try to keep it off until the next morning unless something happens and I need to be involved. I start early each day with quiet time before everyone arrives, able to line out my day to be successful. I enjoy traveling, hiking, hunting, summer and winter sports, and I really enjoy time with my kids and my friends.”

In a position overflowing with priorities, Dorrington singles one out. “I really want to see safety prevail, see our serious injury and fatal crashes come down,” he said.

In fact, Dorrington is quick to point out that safety “is first an awareness item, then an action item. We strive to develop and deliver projects safely, develop and deliver safety improvement projects, and seek to positively influence behavioral safety.”

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Last year, the agency embarked on a new behavioral safety campaign that more practically engages its citizens and travelers in safe choices.

“We are a large, mostly rural state, and people here like their personal freedoms,” he said. “So do I. Yet sometimes the choices of others cause serious injury and fatal crashes, and not one life lost is acceptable.”

The agency’s next priority is to make it through the biennial legislative session “in good shape, with a sound budget, and good policy decisions,” Dorrington said. He recently announced an organizational evaluation and initial steps toward some clearer responsibility areas. Moving the agency toward a reorganization and standardization is “a heavy lift,” he admitted, “but it’s time for a review and some changes.”

MDT is hiring. “That’s my shameless plug,” Dorrington said. “Please consider a career with MDT. The first priority is to keep our talented staff and leadership here, motivated, learning, and producing in a way that honors their skills and abilities. The first, best hiring strategy is to keep the great people you have. In this market, that can be a challenge.”

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The agency is recruiting for a wide variety of positions but especially in the engineering disciplines, with structural positions most in need, from design to construction to maintenance and repair. MDT is also striving to create and sustain an attractive package of compensation, benefits, and “a view that is unmatched for everyone who lives and works in the state,” Dorrington said.

Dorrington and his team partner with the industry and several associations, as well as with colleges and universities “to develop our youth and share with them what is possible in the construction industry. Our work is exciting and rewarding,” he said. MDT also actively engages its communities at events and shares what it does to serve Montana’s citizens.

Recent actions taken by the federal government regarding funding “have definitely put us in a place to pause, reflect, and find answers as fast as possible,” Dorrington said. Stable, long-term funding for committed projects is vital.

“I think things will shake out and we will stabilize, but the shake-up of our program funding — both formula funds and discretionary programs and projects — creates uncertainty for all involved,” he said. “I believe this will remain a challenge for some time, and we will continue to do good work and create solutions among our transportation community.”

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Dorrington said that IIJA funding has been “truly and positively impactful to our state, with historic funding making its way to projects on the ground.” At the same time, there is unprecedented inflation for infrastructure categories of expenses, as well as wage pressure.

“The greatness of this funding makes our Montana infrastructure and programs better,” Dorrington said. “Delivering that increase is a complex thing to do safely, being mindful of our fiduciary responsibility. The weight and pressure on our staff and leadership to accelerate or increase volume of projects is real.”

Dorrington believes MDT stands apart from its counterparts in other states in one particular way.

“We are the best,” he said. “I am certain other DOTs would contest that, but I hold that I have the best people, in the best state. I am unquestionably a driver, and my people work hard and aren’t afraid to speak up for their project or program. I like that.”

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Limits — the number of hours in a day and available funding — must always be factored in, he acknowledged.

“I appreciate the level of ownership of my teams, and the drive to do all we can for our limited time and dollars,” Dorrington said. “We are a big, powerful team and we engage in our citizen service thoughtfully.”

Dorrington thinks contractors in Montana should know that MDT serves its citizens proudly alongside the state’s construction community.

“The most important message I want to convey is that I value our partnership and the roles we play to move our transportation system forward,” he said. “Our agency strives to be clear, consistent, and to well-communicate what we are doing today and in the future. Together, we are a powerful team that serves our communities.”

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The Montana Department of Transportation is hard at work on a plethora of projects. Here are three of the biggest:

• U.S. 93 North - Post Creek Hill: The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), in partnership with MDT, began initial drilling on the U.S. 93: Post Creek Hill project the week of January 27, 2025. The work is in preparation for the installation of groundwater monitoring devices that will aid in the design of the bridge foundations. Weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting, the work should take approximately five weeks. Full construction is tentatively planned to begin in 2027. Improvements will include widening the roadway to include 8-foot-wide shoulders; constructing a northbound truck-climbing lane at Post Creek Hill; constructing left-turn lanes at major intersections; installing a new bridge over Post Creek that will facilitate wildlife movement underneath the highway; and constructing a shared-use path.
• The Billings Bypass: This project is led by MDT in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, Yellowstone County, and City of Billings. It is a six-phase project that will result in a new arterial roadway. The new road will begin at the Johnson Lane Interchange on Interstate 90 in Lockwood, span the Yellowstone River, and connect to the Old Highway 312/U.S. Highway 87 intersection in the Billings Heights. The Five Mile Road, Yellowstone River Bridge, and Railroad Overpass roadway segments of the project are complete, with the remaining construction expected to finish in 2028.
• The Lewistown Area Bridges - DAR Structures Project: The Lewistown area is actively planning for a period of growth that will result in increased traffic throughout the region. As part of the preparations for this expansion, MDT will replace 11 aging bridges through the Lewistown Area Bridges - DAR Structures Project. It is a collaboration with the Department of Defense and is partially funded through the Defense Access Road program, which supports essential highway improvements for defense initiatives. The project’s design phase runs from the winter of 2024 to the spring of 2026, with construction scheduled from the spring of 2026 to the summer of 2028. The project’s timeline is dependent on completion of design and availability of funding.