BILLINGS — The long-awaited Billings Bypass is set for a partial opening on Thursday, following the completion of the railroad overpass section of the project.
This portion of the project cost $19.5 million and is one of the six pieces of the project, which will total $136 million — the largest cumulative Montana Department of Transportation project ever.
The goal of the project is to provide a connection from Lockwood to the Billings Heights with a direct route that makes travel more convenient.
To get a look at the completed Railroad Overpass, watch this video:
Engineering Project Manager James Stevenson said it's a good feeling to see some of the massive project reach completion.
"Well, the exciting part about this is the new route going over the Yellowstone," Stevenson said Tuesday afternoon. "Hopefully, it opens up convenience for the residents here in Lockwood and those in the Heights that are commuting back and forth."
Stevenson said it's been a lengthy process to get here, with his crews working hard rain and shine.
"This would be the fourth phase for the structure over the railroad and Coulson Road," Stevenson said. "There is certain times we had to shut down for weather, but for these two projects right here, we've basically worked through all the weather could give us."
The project, which has been planned for decades, is now halfway complete with three other sections still to go.
The completed segments are Five Mile Road and the Yellowstone River Bridge. The projects that still need to be finished are the Johnson Lane Interchange, the Johnson Lane Interchange — Railroad Overpass, and Five Mile Road to US 87.
"It's been pretty exciting with the length of the bridges that we've built on this project," Stevenson said.
On Thursday, the railroad overpass will open and a path from Lockwood to the Billings Heights will be complete — much to the excitement of Stevenson, who has been a part of the project since the Yellowstone River Bridge construction began in 2020.
"It's always good to have your project completed and opened to the traveling public," Stevenson said. "Whether it's a safety modification or a new road, it's a good feeling."
At this time, there is no official timeline for the rest of the six-step project, but MDT expects it to take at least a few years.
