June 26, 2026
FM Area Diversion June Construction Update
FARGO, N.D. (June 26, 2026) – Contractors have now excavated more than 90% of the material needed for the FM Area Diversion’s 30-mile stormwater diversion channel. With 41 million cubic yards moved, that’s enough to bury the entire Mall of America under roughly 32 feet of material.
Work continues 24/7 on the flood protection project, which will be operational in 2027.
Two crossings over the channel closed briefly so paving could take place. The combined County Roads 16 and 17 bridge reopened June 15th and the County Road 81 crossing northwest of Harwood will open by the end of the month.
At the Sheyenne River Aqueduct, where the river will cross over the top of the channel, significant work has been underway. Sections of the structure’s vertical-lift gate are being installed at the upstream end of the flume. Concrete work is now substantially complete at the aqueduct’s wingwalls, where only work on the concrete and metal railings remain in addition to backfill work that’s ongoing. On each end of the flume, precast concrete girders were installed to form the maintenance road bridge decks. At the spillway, concrete work is nearly completed, and crews have begun driving H-pile foundations for a maintenance road bridge that will span the spillway. These are the last H-piles to be installed as part of the stormwater diversion channel work.
Concrete work also is underway by the City of Fargo, a partner in building the FM Area Diversion. Near the water treatment plant, concrete is being placed for a 2,000-foot stretch of levees and floodwalls.
Additionally, federal contractors have been working on the 22-mile southern embankment, which will hold back floodwaters. At Reach 2B, crews seeded native grasses and installed turf reinforcement mats as well as placed gravel where 45th Street will cross up and over the embankment.
Watch these updates and more in the new drone construction update at https://youtu.be/JL1oVfPE-w8.
About the Metro Flood Diversion Authority
The MFDA is a permanent North Dakota political subdivision that is cooperatively implementing the Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion comprehensive project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The MFDA works in partnership with the Red River Valley Alliance in a public-private partnership as well as the City of Fargo, City of Moorhead, Cass County, Clay County and the Cass County Joint Water Resource District.