Columbia Falls Awards $9.4 Million Construction Contract for ‘Gateway to Glacier’ Infrastructure Project
Kalispell-based Nelcon Inc. was awarded the $9.4 million construction contract for the project, which is expected to begin this spring and see substantial completion by the end of September 2027
By Lauren Frick
The Columbia Falls City Council on Monday night unanimously agreed to authorize the city to enter a $9.4 million contract for construction services for the long-awaited “Gateway to Glacier” mobility project.
Kalispell-based Nelcon Inc. was the lowest of four bidders for the project, which is expected to begin this spring and see substantial completion by the end of September 2027. The project’s initial completion date of March 2027 was pushed back to allow for a second construction season, City Manager Eric Hanks said.
The Gateway to Glacier Safety and Mobility Plan is poised to reconstruct 1.3 miles of the city’s roadways, add 1.7 miles of sidewalk and one mile of shared-used pathways. The plan will also upgrade multiple intersections, improve parking, expand Americans with Disabilities (ADA) access downtown and install a new water main under the roadway. Improvements center around Fourth Avenue North and South, 13th Street adjacent to Columbia Falls High School, and Seventh Street adjacent to the city hall.
In 2022, the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, which was renamed the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program, awarded the city $10 million to fund the endeavor.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Mayor Donald Barnhart told meeting-goers on Monday night. “We’ve been working on this for a long time.”
While Nelcon’s $9.4 million bid was the lowest for the project, it was still more than $500,000 over the engineer’s estimate of $8.7 million. With city staff recommending an additional project contingency of $395,000 for any unforeseen costs during the project, the city’s total budget deficit for the project would be about $947,000, according to city documents.
“We did consider rescoping and rebidding, however all indications were that the bidding climate would be higher next year as well,” Hanks told councilors on Monday.
The city’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget has sufficient funds for the project for the remainder of the year, meaning city staff will recommend a way to address the nearly $1 million deficit in the FY 2027 budget, Hanks said.
Currently, the city plans to recommend earmarking $950,000 for the project in the FY 2027 budget’s Urban Renewal District (URD) Tax Increment Financing District Fund, according to city documents.
“We have sufficient funds in the TIFF district that well aligns with the priorities for this project,” Hanks said.
The city and the project’s engineering partners, Texas-based Jacobs Solutions and Kalispell-based WGM Group, will host an open house on Feb. 18 for residents to learn more about the construction phase of the Gateway to Glacier Safety and Mobility Improvement project.
The Feb. 18 open house will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall’s council chambers, 130 Sixth St. W., and residents can stop by at any time to learn more, review project plans and ask the team questions. There will be no formal presentation.