The Electric received several questions about what was going on at the Armington Junction rest area, so we checked with the Great Falls district office of the Montana Department of Transportation.

The rest area is currently closed as MDT’s contractor, United Materials, is rehabilitating the existing facility and parking lots.

They’re repaving, updating signage, sidewalks, some ADA accessibility and some picnic areas, as well as water and sewer infrastructure.

It’s a separate project from the Armington Junction roundabout and road work that was previously completed and the county’s project to replace the Armington bridge.

Armington Junction project complete [2023]

They’re also redoing the MCS scale site with concrete to handle the truck loads better, MDT staff said.

The project includes a new maintenance building that will also house the new water system, staff said.

The project started in June and Jay Manuel, an operations engineer with MDT, said that the project is on schedule and the rest area should reopen in November.

MDT completing pavement work at Armington Junction [2023]

MDT used a consultant design process for the project.

It’s a process that Jim Wingerter, MDT’s Great Falls district administrator, said is typical anytime MDT does a project other than roads.

MDT awarded the contract to United Materials in April for $4,332,307.

The engineer’s estimate was $5,305,192.90, according to MDT documents.

Jenn Rowell

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