Gov. Greg Gianforte has tapped Larry Flynn to take over as director of the Montana Department of Transportation, filling the agency's top seat after former director Chris Dorrington stepped down on Oct. 1.
MDT is no small operation. The agency oversees construction and maintenance of state highways, railroads and airports — the infrastructure that keeps Helena connected to the rest of Montana — and runs on a roughly $1 billion annual budget with about 2,000 employees statewide.
Dorrington's departure on Oct. 1 left the agency without a confirmed director heading into what are typically heavy planning months for the following construction season. Flynn's appointment fills that gap, though his confirmation status and any legislative review timeline were not immediately available.
For Helena residents, MDT decisions carry direct consequences — from highway maintenance on I-15 through the canyon to airport improvements at Helena Regional. Who sits at the top of the agency shapes how that billion-dollar budget gets prioritized across Montana's 69,000 miles of public roads.