October 2022 City Scoop: Billings
City Grill
David Smith
Executive Director
Montana Contractors Association
“Most of Montana’s growth occurs in the seven largest cities, and all report strong utility connections and building permits,” Smith says, although as elsewhere, supplies and labor continue to be key obstacles.
Major projects in Billings include a recently completed airport terminal and a wastewater treatment expansion. A new medical school and a 200,000-sq-ft Coca Cola distribution facility are also underway.
“Two significant highway projects are happening,” says Smith. The Billings Bypass connecting Lockwood to the Billings Heights neighborhood started in 2021 with construction of a $30-million, 1,858-ft bridge. The entire project is estimated at $100 million and will take about five years. The state DOT is also rebuilding and widening the dual-span bridge on I-90 over the Yellowstone River, a two-year, $40-million project.
“Residential construction is very strong, with several subdivisions rapidly emerging on the city’s west end,” Smith says. “Refineries, agriculture and banking have solidified Billings as a regional trade center.”
