Dry Fork Road reopens; some construction activities continue

MALTA, Mont. – The Dry Fork Road in south Phillips County, Montana, reopened to through-traffic, today, Bureau of Land Management officials with the Malta Field Office announced.

The road reopening occurs earlier than originally anticipated, as contractors working the culvert-replacement project prioritized returning the road to service as quickly as possible.

“The contractor understood how a lengthy detour could impact local ranchers, residents and others who rely on Dry Fork Road daily to support their livelihoods,” said Roger Solberg, BLM civil engineer, “and he planned the work in a way that would allow traffic to use the road a little earlier while he finished up some of the remaining contract work items.”

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.

Dry Fork Road connects with U.S. Highway 191 near Zortman. The culvert repair site, which was closed to through-traffic on July 23, is located about 8 miles from the road’s intersection with U.S. Highway 191. A detour route via Midale Road was established to serve traffic while the road was impassable.

The road was evaluated safe for reopening to through-traffic after the two 50-plus-year-old, damaged, 4-feet-diameter culverts were replaced with one larger new culvert, followed by back-filling, compacting, and road base and surface reconstruction.

Travelers should stay watchful for large construction equipment moving near the site and using the road as work continues on remaining project tasks, including designing the area upstream of the culvert for optimal forebay flows and constructing the stilling basin downstream of the culvert to better manage outflows. How both sides of the culvert are designed and built are critical to preventing erosion damage on the newly reconstructed road and on the landscape beyond the work site.

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.

“We’re excited to be able to get the work done to replace these old, damaged culverts,” said Zane Fulbright, BLM-North Central Montana District manager. “Thanks to Great American Outdoor Act funding, Dry Fork Road will continue to provide a reliable transportation route for everyone in this rural area who depends upon it to access their work, homes and public lands.”

Since its enactment, GAOA funding has helped the BLM’s North Central Montana District complete deferred maintenance on dams, roads, recreation areas and other infrastructure projects that provide lasting benefits to the public.

Learn more about GAOA projects happening on BLM-administered public lands -- https://www.blm.gov/about/laws-and-regulations/infrastructure/great-american-outdoors-act.