Fresno Dam Road lane restrictions and delays

Staff and wire report

The road crossing Fresno Dam has been reduced to a single lane of traffic this week, with the restriction running from Tuesday to June 16, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced.

The lane closure is part of the ongoing Safety of Dams project. Delays should be expected while crossing the dam. Traffic will return to a normal pattern during the weekend, June 10-11.

All reservoir boat ramps will remain open and there will be no impact to the reservoir water surface elevations this season due to the construction.

Built in 1939 on the Milk River in north-central Montana, the 84-year-old embankment dam has experienced 7-10 feet of settlement since construction.

“The Safety of Dams project will add a sand and gravel filter and toe drain system, with an embankment fill overlay and a vertical sand filter trench to correct settlement-related safety deficiencies,” said Steve Darlinton, project manager.

Fresno Dam construction was completed in 1939 as an irrigation storage facility under the greater Milk River Project. In addition to providing irrigation water to the Milk River Project, Fresno Dam provides incidental benefits for flood control and recreation.

For project updates, people can visit http://www.usbr.gov/gp/mtao/fresno/ or call Steve Darlinton at 406-247-7322.