Glacier Park International Airport runway rehabilitation reaches third milestone

Glacier Park International Airport successfully completed the third of four planned weekly runway rehabilitation closures. 

With three of the four closures now complete, the project remains on track for its final construction closure beginning at 6 p.m. on July 27. Once complete, the rehabilitation will provide a smoother, more durable runway surface, upgraded lighting and communications infrastructure, and improved long-term reliability for airport operations. 

The community has seen the runway reopen, as scheduled, each Friday morning. That reliability has been made possible by hundreds of skilled crews working around the clock in a carefully coordinated operation. 

"This project is a testament to what can be accomplished when talented teams come together for a common goal," Rob Ratkowski, airport director, said. "Every week, dozens of crews, inspectors, engineers, surveyors and support personnel have worked long hours to safely deliver a tremendous amount of work in a very short timeframe. We are grateful for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to keeping this project on schedule." 

During each 88-hour closure, multiple crews work simultaneously to complete the equivalent of more than two regular work weeks, making every minute count. 

GPIA thanks the following organizations for their support, which has truly made this milestone possible.  

Jacobs – Construction management; Alpine – Material testing; CMG – material testing, survey and quality control; Robert Peccia & Associates – quality assurance; KLJ – quality control; Produze – Grade control; TopCon – grade control; Trimble – grade control; LHC – milling and demolition, earthwork, grading, paving, drainage improvements, and concrete foundations; TJ Gardner – electrical, lighting, and communications; DACO Construction – electrical and communications; Montana Materials & Construction (Helena Sand & Gravel) – paving; Ground Up – asphalt milling; Hi-Lite – runway striping.  

For more information on the runway rehabilitation project, visit iflyglacier.com/runway-rehabilitation.