Stay informed about runway rehabilitation progress as it happens.
Glacier Park International Airport (GPIA) is preparing for an important runway rehabilitation project to extend the runway’s service life and maintain safe, efficient air travel in the Flathead Valley. Construction will occur in July 2026, with additional nighttime work in September.
July 2026 Closure Schedule
Phased Weekday Closures for Minimal Disruption
GPIA will implement phased weekday closures throughout the month of July.
Runway Closed
Monday at 6:00 p.m. – Friday at 10:00 a.m.
Closure Dates:
- July 6–10
- July 13–17
- July 20–24
- July 27–31
The runway will reopen for flights every weekend (Friday–Monday), to align with peak travel demand and maintain service during construction.
During the phased closure periods, crews will work 24 hours a day to ensure all construction activities are completed on schedule.
Runway 12-30 (small aircraft runway) will remain open throughout the project with the exception of the July 27-31 closure dates.
Nighttime Work in September
Approximately 15 nightly closures between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. will be required for runway surface grooving. This work will be complete by October 1. This is essential for creating adequate friction for winter flight operations. These short late-night closures are not expected to impact flight schedules.
Why This Project Is Needed
Runway pavement has a defined lifespan, usually 15 to 20 years. GPIA’s main runway was last rehabilitated in 2009, making it 17 years old in 2026. The runway has begun showing signs of surface wear and deterioration. Timely rehabilitation is important to avoid more extensive and costly repairs and maintain eligibility for federal funding.
Thoughtfully Considered and Carefully Planned
Though July is a peak travel season, it’s also the most favorable month for the construction activities. Based on two decades of weather data, July offers the most consistent dry conditions and nighttime temperatures above 50°F, which are required by Federal Aviation Administration specifications. Conducting the rehabilitation activities in July minimizes the risk of weather delays and unplanned extended closures.
Twenty-year weather assessments showed the probability of having the necessary weather conditions from April through September. Each month’s probability of favorable weather conditions are as follows:
April: 1%
May: 10%
June: 33%
July: 81%
A 30-day waiting period is required between paving operations and runway grooving. The probability of consistent favorable weather conditions in August and September was not evaluated since conducting the paving activities in these months does not allow time to complete runway grooving following the waiting period and before winter weather sets in. In the interest of runway safety, delaying grooving operations to the following year is not an option.
Strategic Planning
The rehabilitation strategy was developed in collaboration with experienced airport engineering teams. Multiple alternatives were carefully considered. The selected approach balances safety, quality, cost efficiency, and community impact while allowing for defined, predictable disruptions instead of risking unexpected delays that would disrupt travel for more than 8,000 passengers each day.
Mitigating Impacts
Airline Coordination
GPIA is working closely with the airlines to ensure schedules and flight bookings are adjusted for the closures. Although there will be flight schedule impacts, 60% of all flights will still occur during open hours.
Each airline will determine if additional flights or larger planes are necessary to adapt to increased travel during the airport’s open days. GPIA will work to accommodate additional flights wherever possible.
Continued Access to the Flathead Valley
According to University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research data, only 14% of visitors to the Flathead Valley have arrived by air during Quarter 3 between 2019 and 2024. By maintaining 60% of the July flight schedule during construction, Flathead visitation impacts will be minimal.
During construction, visitors will continue arriving by car and through nearby regional airports. With a predictable schedule in place and weekend flights maintained, the Flathead Valley remains open for business and ready to welcome guests.
Stay Informed
GPIA is committed to keeping the community and travelers informed. This page will be updated throughout the process. Please check back often to stay in the know.
Thank you for your patience and support as we complete this important project.
Construction Updates
July 10, 2026
Week 1 Update: Primary Runway Reopened Safely and Ahead of Schedule
GPIA has successfully reopened its primary runway ahead of schedule at 9 a.m. Friday, July 10, marking the completion of the runway rehabilitation project’s first phased closure.
From Monday evening through Friday morning, crews worked continuously for 88 hours to complete the first major phase of the runway rehabilitation project. More than 150 workers representing 14 different companies collaborated around the clock to safely complete the work.
Phase 1 by the Numbers
During the 88-hour closure, construction crews accomplished the following:
- Demolished approximately 10,000 square yards of existing pavement.
- Placed approximately 14,500 tons of asphalt.
- Hauled more than 1,100 truckloads of material.
- Completed all work without a single accident or injury.
Additional Infrastructure Upgrades
In addition to the pavement rehabilitation, crews replaced several in-pavement runway weather information system sensors, as well as conduits and cable pathways that support the runway lighting and communication systems.
This was a great start to the project. We safely completed an incredible amount of work and reopened the runway ahead of schedule. This achievement was only possible because of the extraordinary dedication of our crews and staff, who worked tirelessly to deliver this result.
Favorable weather throughout the construction window allowed crews to maintain an aggressive schedule. While the primary runway was closed, the airport continued serving the community using its crosswind runway, supporting more than 170 medical, cargo, private, charter, and flight training operations.
The next weekly closure will be on Monday, July 13, at 6 p.m. and will reopen on Friday, July 17.
The runway rehabilitation project extends the service life of the airport’s primary runway while maintaining the safe and reliable infrastructure needed to serve the Flathead Valley for years to come.
Bookmark this page (https://iflyglacier.com/runway-rehabilitation/) to stay updated as we progress through the remaining phases of the project.
Previous Updates
July 6-10, 2026
The primary runway closed as scheduled at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 6 and will reopen on Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. This is the first of four weekly closures. The primary runway will close at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 6 and reopen on Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. This is the first of four weekly closures.
During each weekly closure, crews will remove the top layer of asphalt from a section of the runway, prep the surface and repave it. Markings will be painted and the airfield will be inspected before the runway reopens for weekend flights. This process will continue for four consecutive weeks until all runway sections have been completed.
In conjunction with the runway paving activities, an electrical team will upgrade the runway lights to new LED fixtures and various airfield signs will be replaced. The old B4 Taxiway Connector and a portion of Taxiway D will be removed. Portions of the new connectors will be constructed during each weekly closure.
The following map indicates the sections to be addressed during each phased closure.
Closure 1: Red Area, July 6-10
Closure 2: Dark Blue Area, July 13-17
Closure 3: Cyan Area, July 20-24
Closure 4: Yellow Area, July 27-31
June 8-15, 2026
Glacier Park International Airport and LHC, Inc. are preparing for this summer’s runway rehabilitation. Materials are arriving and equipment staging has begun. If you are traveling in or out of GPIA, you’ll notice crews gearing up for full runway rehabilitation, but rest assured, the current work is not impacting commercial air travel at GPIA.
Taxiway Delta, primarily used by private aircraft, has been excavated, and layers of specialized gravel are being added in preparation for new pavement. Once completed, the taxiway will be 32 inches thick, including 26 inches of specialized gravel and 6 inches of asphalt, making it structurally sound for supporting heavy aircraft traffic.
Crews are also conducting night work to replace damaged runway light bases on the main runway. Completing this work in advance of the July runway closures will position the contractor for a smooth start, improve project readiness, and minimize potential surprises during construction. Crews are working around the nighttime commercial flights, and travelers are not anticipated to be impacted.
