BOZEMAN, Mont. — A nearly decade-long project was honored at a veterans memorial service in Bozeman Monday.

The City of Bozeman and the Veterans Alliance of Southwest Montana have set aside land in Sunset Hills Cemetery to create a veterans cemetery.

Two columbaria were built to safely store the urns of fallen veterans.

American Legion organizers say the structures will provide a more convenient site for veteran families to honor their loved ones.

“There is now a place where we can lay the veteran to a final resting place and they can have visitors,” said Len Albright, commander of American Legion Post 14.

Albright said four more columbariums are expected to be built during the second phase of this project, and a service shelter will be built during the third phase. The timeline is unclear at this time.