Distinctly Montana Magazine

92 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 6 baggage claim." And the hardest part is one most travelers would never guess, aligning the new construction with the old. "It would appear straightforward since most of the existing construction can be seen," Kabalin says, "but each area has its own challenges based on construction type and the era it was built." And as ever in Montana, winter will have its say. "We also sched- ule around seasons," Kabalin told us. "In the winter, heating can be disrupted; in the summer, we can disrupt some cooling." In addition, Kabalin says, the steel and glulam (glue-laminated wood) beams that give the addition its signature Western-lodge aesthetic can only be delivered to a single side of the building, squeezed between a pair of 200-ton cranes and a 90-ton crane competing for space. Coordinating those drop-offs is as deli- cate as dance choreography, but the result will be a newly ren- ovated Great Hall featuring expanded dining options (and with a stunning view of the Bridger Mountains), as well as three new baggage carousels and an expanded security checkpoint. In the meantime, the primary inconvenience to arriving passengers is a temporary reduction from three working baggage carousels to two, which careful planning has ensured will barely be detectable. Brian Sprenger, president and CEO of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), has loved aviation and airports all his life. His aviation career began at Gallatin Field (now BZN) in 1983 cleaning airliners before moving into a 14-year career with Northwest Airlines as a customer service agent in Bozeman and Honolulu, followed by Glacier Park International Airport station manager and finally the manager of education programs at the IF YOU ARRI V ED IN MONTAN A BY AIR L AST YE AR, THERE IS A 2-IN-5 CHANCE YOU FLEW INTO BOZEMAN. MARTEL CONSTRUCTION

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