BOZEMAN, Mont. — Frequent drivers in Bozeman now have two newly opened roadways to use after major construction projects wrapped up on opposite sides of town.
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The first project is in northwest Bozeman, where a new section of North 27th Avenue opened Tuesday.
“We are very proud to commission into service this new road section of North 27th Avenue from Baxter Lane to Cattail Street,” Bozeman City Engineer Emiliano Esparza said.
The long-anticipated connection has been years in the making.
“This project has a history of more than 10 years,” Esparza said.
The area between Baxter Lane and Cattail Street now looks much different following the $5.7 million project.
“This new road section caters to drivers by having two new driving lanes, one in each direction, also to bicyclists and pedestrians by having shared-use paths,” Esparza said.
Other improvements include a new roundabout at the intersection of Cattail Street and North 27th Avenue.
For Luisa, whose family has lived in the area for five years, the new connection is already making a difference.
“It is going to be easier for sure because my husband is a Home Depot lover,” Luisa said. “So he has been taking that road, and it’s really good. We can skip the traffic.”
There is also good news for drivers on the northeast side of Bozeman, where McIlhattan Road has reopened with a new look.
“That road got reconstructed from a gravel standard to a paved road,” Esparza said.
After months of construction, McIlhattan Road opened to traffic Wednesday morning.
“That road enhances our transportation network, but also will provide service to those community members on the edges of town, and also a planned bike project, the Bikefill project,” Esparza said.
With both major roadways now open, Esparza said the projects are part of a larger effort.
“We are improving the transportation network and the utility network to enhance city services provided to all of our community members,” Esparza said.
