Montana airports get critical repairs and upgrades from Biden’s infrastructure law
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester backed the infrastructure law, but Montana Republican lawmakers voted against it.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Feb. 15 that two airports in Montana had been selected for grants to make improvements and repairs.
Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell and Missoula Montana Airport in Missoula were among the 114 airports nationwide selected by the department to receive grants. Funds come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed in 2021.
“These investments we’re announcing today, made possible by President Biden’s historic infrastructure package, will make it easier for passengers to get to and through airports, create jobs, and increase safety for all,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
Some of the construction costs for a new terminal building and a terminal access road will be funded for Glacier Park International, while work on a baggage claim area, hold rooms and passenger restrooms will be done at Missoula Montana.
Glacier Park also received infrastructure funding in 2023, while Missoula Montana received a grant in 2022 along with Yellowstone Airport in Gallatin County.
Glacier Park and Missoula Montana are the second- and third-busiest airports in the state. According to data from the Montana Department of Transportation, the two airports had over 413,000 arrivals each in 2022, surpassed only by the 1.1 million who came through Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport that same year.
Upgrades are coming following a 2018 assessment of Montana’s infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers that gave the state a grade of “C,” signifying infrastructure “in fair to good condition” and showing “general signs of deterioration.”
“I’m proud to have secured this funding through my bipartisan infrastructure law, and I’ll keep working to ensure Montana’s airports have the resources they need to thrive,” Democratic Sen. Jon Tester said in a statement.
In 2021, Tester was a member of the bipartisan group of 22 senators who negotiated with Biden and passed the infrastructure package in Congress.
The other members of Montana’s congressional delegation at the time, Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Matt Rosendale, who are both Republicans, opposed the legislation and voted against it.
“The Democrats are taking our country in the wrong direction and heaping huge amounts of debt on future generations,” Daines said in an August 2021 statement that explained why he intended to vote against the bill.
According to a May 2023 fact sheet released by the White House, more than 288 infrastructure projects in Montana have been funded under the law. In addition to work on the airports, projects to repair roads and bridges, upgrade internet access, and provide a safe water supply are underway in the state.
