Once complete, the $200 million East Terminal Expansion Project (ETEP) will reshape both the footprint and overall visitor experience at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Belgrade, Montana.
Begun in fall 2024 under the direction of the Gallatin Airport Authority — the independent, public body that owns and operates BZN — the multi-phase expansion project will include an enhanced, new concourse with new retail shops and restaurants, an expanded baggage claim area, a second security checkpoint, and a new third floor with administrative office space.
Morrison-Maierle developed the designs for the project, and RS&H and Hennebery Eddy Architects Inc. are serving as the project architects. Bozeman, Montana-based Martel Construction is serving as the general contractor and construction manager.
Heavy demolition in support of the project began in early 2025, followed by the 20-month first phase that included construction of the new terminal’s bones, roof, and deck, said Travis Kabalin, a Senior Project Manager with Martel Construction. That work was followed by a second phase, focused on the new terminal’s exterior siding and interior finishes.
“That work is still ongoing,” Kabalin said. “It’s a pretty unique project in that we’re setting some structural steel, but we’re also painting interiors and getting ready for ceilings and carpet in other [more finished] areas.”
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“We are probably about 50 percent to 55 percent complete [with the overall project],” airport CEO Brian Sprenger said in mid-August. “One of the key focuses of this project has been phasing the construction so that we can make progress while continuing to serve our passengers well, with minimal disruptions to our daily operations at the airport.”
As a key air hub for visitors headed to both Yellowstone National Park and ski resorts across greater Montana, BZN stays busy year-round. To reduce construction impact on travelers, Martel crews phased their build from west to east, working outward from the existing airport terminal footprint in stages.
The project initially required razing small portions of the main airport building in areas where it would connect to the new terminal. Crews then had to excavate the build site in preparation for installing the new terminal’s concrete foundations. That was followed by structural steel framework, exterior siding, and roofing installation, with work flowing to the east in stages.
The phased build approach has allowed the airport to remain operational and will allow staff to open new sections of the terminal as they become complete. It has also allowed construction to move smoothly, so much so that Sprenger and Kabalin believe they are on track to beat the initial 2030 target completion date by a wide margin.
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“We’re now looking at probably spring of 2029 for full project completion,” Sprenger said.
“A lot of our progress can be credited to the close partnership and teamwork between the design team, Martel, and airport leadership — with Brian, in particular, being very involved in day-to-day conversations with us,” Kabalin added. “It’s allowed us to stay nimble and make sure each one of our milestones happens on schedule.”
Once complete, the new terminal will add about 200,000 square feet of space to the overall airport footprint.
“We’ll go from about 300,000 square feet to around 500,000 square feet with this expansion,” Sprenger said.
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Working to continue the new terminal’s progress while minimizing construction inconvenience to the airport’s travelers has been a key focus for both Sprenger and Kabalin throughout the build.
“[The new build] created a need for new aprons and new runway areas, and so we had to take that into account,” Kabalin said. “With a project like this, we’re not just doing vertical construction; we’re also coordinating a lot of horizontal flat work [for the surrounding, exterior airport grounds]. So, we decided to move systematically from west to east just to keep us from having to double back into finished spaces to deal with disruptions from paving operations later.”
The airport hopes to open the new terminal’s baggage claim area before this winter’s peak travel season. Plans call for the opening of its new departure and arrival gates in advance of the 2027 summer travel season.
Once complete, the new terminal expansion will add space to accommodate the airport’s surging crowds. Before the expansion, during peak season, Sprenger said that “there were times when every gate was full, every restroom was full, and every restaurant was full. This is going to give everyone more legroom and will increase our traveler capacity by about 40 percent.”
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The new terminal will include two additional restaurants, three new bars, a stop-and-go market, and three new retail concession stands, along with several new gates and restrooms.
The construction will also support the airport in accommodating more flights on larger aircraft, since airport gates demolished during the building of the new terminal had been sized to receive only smaller planes.
“In general, all construction that we’ve done over the past 15 years has been with an eye toward receiving larger aircraft,” Sprenger said.
Aesthetically, plans called for integrating the new terminal as seamlessly as possible into the airport’s existing design. Externally, it will be enclosed using a mix of metal and composite panels as well as an exterior insulation and finish system, with a stucco-like appearance to match the exterior of the existing airport. Internally, its finishes — including a locally sourced, gray-brown granite from Gallatin County — will similarly match those used in the original terminal building.
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“It’s very intentional to bring all the existing airport interiors and exteriors through to the new build,” said Kabalin, noting that, as a company, Martel Construction has partnered on BZN projects for nearly five decades.
The new terminal will also incorporate several features meant to evoke the feel of an inviting ski lodge, from multiple, large stone fireplaces to wood-covered interior beams and a large observation window on the third-floor mezzanine, which will overlook the Gallatin Valley.
“There are several features that you just won’t get [in an airport] anywhere else,” Kabalin said. “You can sit at these grand windows and look out at the mountains and watch the planes taking off. In some ways, it doesn’t feel like an airport when you’re there because of how beautiful the surroundings are.”
- Owner: Gallatin Airport Authority, Belgrade, Montana
- General Contractor/Construction Manager: Martel Construction, Bozeman, Montana
- Lead Designer: Morrison-Maierle, Helena, Montana
- Architects: RS&H, Jacksonville, Florida; Hennebery Eddy Architects Inc., Portland, Oregon
