Motorcyclist hospitalized after crash snarls traffic near Custer Avenue interchange

A motorcycle rider was hospitalized after a Tuesday afternoon crash near the I-15 interchange on Custer Avenue, clogging one of Helena’s busiest commercial corridors during the lunch-hour rush.

The collision was reported around 12:30 p.m. near Home Depot, where a vehicle and a motorcycle were involved in a crash that caused serious injuries. Emergency responders took the motorcyclist to St. Peter’s Hospital for treatment. By early afternoon, officials had not released the cause of the crash, the identity of the rider, or details about the other driver.

The location helped turn a single collision into a traffic problem fast. Custer Avenue carries shoppers, commuters and commercial traffic through the heart of Helena’s west side, and the I-15 interchange concentrates even more movement into a small area. When a crash happens there, delays can spread quickly across nearby access roads and through the corridor that links the interstate with stores, neighborhoods and downtown routes.

The crash also landed on a corridor that has been under transportation scrutiny for years. The Montana Department of Transportation says traffic volumes on Custer Avenue are increasing and congestion is common during peak times. MDT, the City of Helena and Lewis and Clark County have already prioritized corridor improvements in the city’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, and MDT says the project is still in its early phases even as the need for changes remains pressing.

A 2019 preliminary traffic engineering report identified Custer Avenue between Montana Avenue and Green Meadow Drive as a recommended major street network project. That work outlined a widening concept for a five-lane urban arterial with bicycle lanes and a shared-use path. Public input collected for the project found that 88% of respondents said Custer Avenue is congested and could benefit from at least some improvements. Earlier reporting also noted that the stretch between Montana Avenue and Henderson Street generally has just one lane of traffic in each direction.

The crash comes as roadway safety remains a statewide concern. MDT reported 198 traffic fatalities in Montana in 2025, and 40 fatalities on Montana highways had been recorded so far in 2026 as of mid-April, compared with 44 at the same point last year. MDT also says the Montana Legislature legalized lane filtering in 2021 and supports Montana Motorcycle Riders Safety training, both of which are part of the broader push to reduce motorcycle crashes on busy roads like Custer Avenue.