September 27, 2024

FM Area Diversion September Construction Update

FARGO, ND (September 27, 2024) – The Metro Flood Diversion Authority released its September construction update video for the FM Area Diversion project: https://youtu.be/HY1VoSRl1F0?feature=shared. In the past few weeks, roughly 2 million cubic yards of material have been excavated. For perspective, that’s enough to cover the entire North Dakota State University campus to a depth of nearly 5 feet. Thousands of cubic yards of concrete also were placed across several locations. Here’s a closer look at this month’s highlights.

Channel Crossings: ASN Constructors continued work on many of the 19 road and railroad bridges that will cross the stormwater diversion channel. The bypass lanes on I-94 are now fully constructed and will open before winter. Bridge girders were installed at the County Road 22 crossing, and some of the final portions of the combined County Roads 4 and 31 crossing were completed, putting it on track to open to traffic before winter, as well. Additionally, about 700 cubic yards of concrete was poured for the County Road 20 bridge deck this month.

Maple River Aqueduct: Concrete placement continues on this one-of-a-kind structure, where about 9,500 cubic yards of concrete have been placed to date.

Oxbow-Hickson-Bakke Ring Levee: Hendrickson Transportation, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor, completed more than a mile of the inspection trench as well as about 3,000 feet of the 11,500-foot-long-embankment.

Red River Structure: Ames Construction, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor, neared the end of the concrete work on the control structure portion this month, and they began excavating and stockpiling roughly 460,000 cubic yards of fill on the Minnesota side of the river. This material, which is enough to fill the U.S. Capitol Dome more than nine times, will be used to construct the embankment that will cross the Red River after the river is permanently diverted through the structure in 2025.

Stormwater Diversion Channel: Mass excavation took place in Reaches 10, 11,12, and 13 of the channel, which extend from just south of I-94 to south of Horace, North Dakota. Close to another 2 million cubic yards of the necessary 45 million were moved in the past month, bringing channel excavation to about 57% completion.

For the latest road closures and more construction information, go to FMDiversion.gov.

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.

For current photos of FM Area Diversion project construction, please contact Amy Wieser Willson at amy@neonloon.com or 218-535-5359.