Posted on March 21, 2022
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, along with the Metro Flood Diversion Authority and the North Dakota Department of Transportation, will be closing multiple roads associated with the I-29 grade raise project. These road closures are expected to begin around April 1 and continue through the summer.
The road closures in Cass County will facilitate raising I-29 and provide access to Oxbow, Hickson and Bakke during flood events. The County Road 18 interchange, including bridge and ramps will be closed for the reconstruction of the overpass bridge. The roadway and ramps will also be raised to accommodate the raising of I-29. County Road 18 will be closed east of the interchange, extending from the interchange to near 174 ½ Ave. SE. While the work from the intersection of County Roads 18 and 81 to the east is active, County Road 81 will also be closed from north of Clubhouse Dr. to south of County Road 18.
The I-29 grade raise project is part of the Fargo, North Dakota / Moorhead, Minnesota, Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project, also known as the FM Area Diversion. It consists of a grade raise of I-29 for approximately 4 miles to bring the roadway out of the 500-year flood elevation. The project extends from south of Exit 50 (Hickson Interchange) to north of Exit 54 (Davenport/Oxbow Interchange) and includes an up and-over where I-29 crosses the southern embankment near the Wild Rice River, bridge construction and replacement, a temporary by-pass, as well as work on adjacent County Roads 18 and 81 in the vicinity of Oxbow.
The Corps is working in partnership with the cities of Fargo and Moorhead and the Metro Flood Diversion Authority on the Fargo, North Dakota / Moorhead, Minnesota, Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project. This project will provide flood risk reduction for more than 235,000 people and 70 square miles of infrastructure in the communities of Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Horace and Harwood.
