KALISPELL — President Trump’s visit to Kalispell on Wednesday will cause travel delays both on the roads and in the air, according to local officials.
Glacier Park International Aiport Director Rob Ratkowski told MTN News that travelers flying in or out of Glacier Park International Airport Wednesday afternoon or early evening should be prepared for possible flight delays as President Trump arrives in Kalispell.
“There’s going to be some periods of delay when the president is in the vicinity or on the airport, we’re thinking probably an hour, hour during arrival, hour during departure that air carrier operations will probably be impacted,” said Ratkowski.
Ratkowski said the airport is not expecting any flight cancelations. He said the exact time for airport delays depends on when Trump lands at the airport.
“Right now we’re anticipating a late afternoon, early evening kind of operation. That could drift. It’s unlikely to move earlier, but we'll see. If it’s going to move, it will probably be later in the evening, which is actually good for us because the majority of our operations are earlier in the day,” said Ratkowski.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office said road closures and traffic delays will be implemented on Highway 93 and the surrounding areas near Majestic Valley Arena.
Sheriff Brian Heino said drivers are not allowed to park on the side of the highway.
“We will have law enforcement presence out immediately in the morning to try to ensure that traffic flow, and again we’re going to try to keep that traffic moving as smoothly as we possibly can, so everyone has the opportunity that wants to go to the event but also those that want to just go home after a long day, have that opportunity as well,” said Heino.
Heino said all attendees must use the designated event parking area and parking at or near the designated area before 12 p.m. is strictly prohibited.
“This is a heavy lift for Flathead County, and we really appreciate all the resources working together. We do this daily, of course, but this is definitely one of those where we had to talk to all of our agency partners to accomplish,” said Heino.
