Separate sealed bids are being solicited by the City of Great Falls for the 9th Street NE Water Main Replacement project, identified as Office File 1848.0. Bids will be accepted at the City Clerk’s office in Room 204 of the Civic Center until 9:00 a.m. local time on February 4, 2026, after which they will be publicly opened in the Gibson Conference Room.
The project includes replacing approximately 1,500 linear feet of 16-inch PVC water main and about 437 linear feet of smaller diameter PVC water mains. The work also involves removing and replacing five fire hydrants, installing twenty new water service connections, laying over four hundred feet of copper service line, constructing twelve accessible curb ramps, and resurfacing more than three thousand square yards with asphalt mill and overlay.
Contract documents can be reviewed or obtained at the City Engineer’s office at the Public Works Department on 25th Avenue NE for a non-refundable deposit. A pre-bid conference is scheduled for January 20, 2026, at the same location. Contractors interested in bidding are encouraged to attend this meeting.
Questions from bidders will be accepted until January 29 via email to Matt Proud. All contractors and subcontractors working on this project must register with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry before executing any construction agreements. Registration forms are available through the department’s Helena office.
Each bid must include a certified check or bid bond equal to at least ten percent of the total bid amount payable to the City of Great Falls. Successful bidders will need to provide performance bonds and insurance certificates as specified in contract requirements. Contractors must also obtain proper licensing from the city prior to contract award.
Bids cannot be withdrawn after their public opening on February 4, 2026.
According to Lisa Kunz, City Clerk: “The City of Great Falls reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received, to waive informalities, to postpone the award of the contract for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days, and to accept the lowest responsive and responsible bid which is in the City’s best interests.”
“The City of Great Falls is an Equal Opportunity Employer.”
Great Falls operates under a commission-manager form of government established by its charter adopted in 1986 [source]. The city has a policy-making body known as the City Commission that appoints a manager for daily operations [source]. Transparent governance and collaborative decision-making are stated priorities for city leadership [source].
The municipality serves residents along Montana’s Missouri River corridor—an area marked by historic waterfalls and hydroelectric infrastructure [source]. Since its founding as a planned community in 1884 by Paris Gibson [source], Great Falls has developed notable infrastructure while honoring its heritage connected with Lewis and Clark expeditions and early Native American tribes [source].