BOZEMAN — If you’ve driven down North 7th Avenue in Bozeman recently, you’ve probably noticed that there’s some major construction going on. So, let’s talk to some of the businesses located in the heart of that construction to see how it’s been going.
A few weeks ago, I spoke to Travis Love, a Big O Tires store manager. For 16 years, Travis has worked on the corner of Peach and North 7th Avenue. That is why, in early June, I asked him about the impending North 7th construction project.
Back in June, Travis told me, “I think it’s going to hurt my business due to the fact that it’s going to shut down certain portions of 7th, which will confuse people about our location and entrance.”
Now that construction is here, I headed back over to Big O’s to see if those concerns came true.
“Some people are confused about how to get here due to the detours that the city has put into place. But other than that, we haven’t seen a huge impact on it,” shares Travis.
Travis tells me construction hasn’t been as bad as expected. They prepared for traffic confusion by putting up additional signage in front of the store.
Travis says it’s not the local customers who are affected, but rather, “It’s more the tourists coming in. We have seen a reduction in campers and travel trailers due to the fact that it is difficult to back a camper in or out without causing more problems with the traffic flow.”
Although Travis says, so far, business has been minimally affected, he adds, “We’re more concerned with the upcoming projects: the milling and paving on the corner of Peach and 7th. We have a feeling that’s going to have a huge impact on us,” Travis shared.
WATCH: Major construction project raises concerns
I wanted to find out what the rest of this construction was going to look like, so I reached out to the Montana Department of Transportation.
They told me MDT is partnering with Knife River Construction for this roughly $3.5 million project. The construction will take place on North 7th Avenue between Main Street and the Wheat Drive area. Two of the current major project areas include the intersections of Peach Street and Oak Street, which will involve widening the roadways to help the flow of traffic. Other improvements include upgrading signals and sidewalks to be ADA-compliant.
Road work began the week of August 4th, and it's expected to be substantially completed this construction season. However, crews will likely return in 2026 for paving.
I asked Travis, despite dealing with construction traffic now, “Do you think it will be more beneficial in the long run?” Travis told me, “I would like to hope so. You know I really would. But it’s hard to say.”
