Intersections near the underpass on 6th Street West will be temporarily closed

Billings, Montana – The intersections of State Avenue and Underpass Avenue and Central Avenue and 6th Street West will be temporarily closed as of today, November 17. This weekend and until Monday, November 20th, there will be a paving closure at the junction of Central Avenue and 6th Street West. There will also be a temporary closure of State Avenue and Underpass Avenue so that workers may finish off the pavement and electrical work south of the 6th Street West underpass. It is expected that both intersections will reopen by Tuesday morning, November 21.

Both north and southbound vehicles will continue to be barred from using the 6th Street West underpass. Moore Lane may be used by cars as a detour during this railroad crossing closure. Before Thanksgiving of next week, Riverside Contracting Inc. and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) plan to reopen the underpass to single-lane traffic.

Until the intersections reopen, Central Avenue access to Albertsons will be temporarily limited. The approaches on 6th Street West and St. Johns Avenue provide access for the general public to Albertsons.

This project is a component of an MDT initiative to enhance traffic management in the southern Billings region. Reconstruction of the intersections north and south of the 6th Street West underpass, the addition of travel lanes, enhancements for cyclists and pedestrians, new traffic signals and lighting, and improved stormwater facilities to address prior flooding issues in the area are all part of the Underpass Avenue – Billings project.

“We’re nearing the finish line with the resurfacing work, and this closure will allow Riverside to finish paving in a shorter amount of time,” said Joe Leligdowicz of MDT. “We recognize the impact this project has had on the traveling public and appreciate their continued patience as we make these necessary improvements.”

As work on this project continues, MDT has issued the following travel advisories:

• Watch for traffic control changes on Central Avenue and State Avenue during paving operations.
• Walking access to the 6th Street West underpass is available using the temporary pedestrian crossings near the Reno Club (south of the underpass) and CVS (north of the underpass).
• For information on bus route detours, visit https://www.billingsmt.gov/3048/THE-BUS, or call 406-657-8218 for assistance planning your trip.