BILLINGS, Mont. – Final construction activities are underway for Zoo Drive Improvements, a Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) project to improve traffic operations and enhance safety features along the Zoo Drive corridor in Billings. Starting Monday, November 17, MDT and partner Knife River plan to close the Pierce Parkway and Gabel Road legs of the intersection with Zoo Drive to update and reconfigure traffic signals at that intersection. The closure is expected to last approximately 5 days. Crews plan to work on Saturdays before and after the closure to complete work as quickly as possible.
“We’re working hard to complete a majority of construction before Thanksgiving, so we’re asking for the public’s cooperation and patience to make that happen,” said MDT Engineering Project Manager James Stevenson. “We want everyone to travel safely over the holiday, so it’s important that folks give themselves plenty of time and pay attention to traffic control and posted signage when traveling through this area.”
During the Pierce Parkway and Gabel Road closure, drivers will be able to access Costco and other area businesses but may have to use alternate routes (see map below for alternate routes).
Most roadway construction (excluding electrical work) is expected to be completed the week before Thanksgiving. Remaining work includes:
- Upgrading traffic signals at the Gabel Road and Pierce Parkway intersection
- Upgrading traffic signals at the Interstate 90 (I-90) ramps
- Completing minor concrete work to tie the electrical upgrades into the sidewalk and roadway improvements
- Restoring areas that were disturbed during construction
- Installing a structure across Zoo Drive to display new directional signage (anticipated in 2026)
Electrical work is expected to continue into early December, weather and other unforeseen factors permitting.
The Zoo Drive Improvements project has been in the works for several years, but the recent relocation of Costco has further amplified the need for the project. With cost efficiency in mind, MDT designed the original Zoo Drive corridor wide enough to accommodate future expansion, knowing that continued growth in West Billings would likely require more travel lanes. This has allowed MDT to reconfigure Zoo Drive without completely reconstructing the roadway and the I-90 bridge.
When the project is completed, Zoo Drive will operate as a five-lane roadway, with two lanes in each direction and a center turn lane at each intersection. More travel lanes have also been added to Gabel Road, including two left-turn lanes toward I-90. This project also includes a new sidewalk and bicycle lane on the north side of Zoo Drive, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades.
Regular text and email updates are being distributed throughout construction. To subscribe for updates, visit mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/zoodrive or email zoodrive@dowl.com.
More information can be found at mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/zoodrive. Comments, questions, or concerns can be directed to zoodrive@dowl.com or 406-577-7781.