BLM to repair Dry Fork Road culverts; temporary closure, detour scheduled
MALTA, Mont. – Through-traffic will be limited on Dry Fork Road in south Phillips County, Montana, July 23 through mid-August, as contractors work to replace two damaged 4-feet-diameter culverts running under the road.
Dry Fork Road is the main access route for east and west travel into the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge on the north side of the Missouri River for public, county, state, and federal employees; including all who live and work in the area. It connects with U.S. Highway 191 near Zortman. The culvert repair site is located about 8 miles from the road’s intersection with U.S. Highway 191.
A temporary detour will be established via Midale Road during the construction period. Bureau of Land Management planners advise that four-wheel-drive pickup trucks may be able continue traveling on Dry Fork Road through the closure period by using a temporary bypass at the construction site, depending on any precipitation that could make the dirt bypass unserviceable. The bypass is not recommended for passenger vehicles without four-wheel-drive capability or lacking higher-than-average undercarriage clearances. All larger vehicles, such as semi-trucks, pickups pulling trailers, and two-wheel drive vehicles will be required to use the Midale Road detour route.
The culvert repair project is funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, helping the Bureau of Land Management provide access to public lands and the unique resources they steward. A $149,200 contract to perform the work was awarded to RF Construction LLC, a registered small business based in Chinook, Montana.
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA, Public Law 116-152) was signed into law on August 4, 2020, providing major investments to address deferred maintenance needs, increase recreational access to our public lands, and conserve our lands and waters. Learn more about GAOA projects happening on BLM-administered public lands -- https://www.blm.gov/about/laws-and-regulations/infrastructure/great-american-outdoors-act.
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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.