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Metro Flood Diversion Authority reports construction progress, winter work plans
Summary
At a virtual Diversion Authority meeting, senior construction manager Tom Fooks gave an update on 2024 construction progress for the Fargo–Moorhead area diversion project and outlined work that will continue through the winter; board members asked a brief budget question but took no formal action.
Tom Fooks, senior construction manager for the Metro Flood Diversion Authority, told the board that the project closed out 2024 with extensive progress and that several construction activities will continue through winter months. "We closed out 2024 having worked on 68 individual components on the FM area diversion throughout the year," Fooks said during the meeting.
The update explained where crews are working and the immediate plans for winter. Fooks said crews are excavating the channel plug at the existing drain 30 inlet near Argusville, North Dakota, to establish a permanent connection that will divert incoming drainage to the new Drain 30 inlet and the stormwater diversion channel. "Once complete, drain 30 inlet will become the second of 14 river and drain inlets to be permanently connected to the channel," he said.
Fooks gave a rundown of multiple ongoing activities: main channel excavation continues in reaches west and south of the metro; pile driving is underway at the BNSF KO Subdivision rail crossing; concrete work and pile driving are progressing at the Cheyenne River Aqueduct near Horace; and the contractor completed a large concrete placement "close to 900 cubic yards" at the base of a flume and conduit structure. At the Red River structure, crews placed footings and piers for the flood wall and removed a temporary bridge. Nine semi trailers arrived carrying components of a remaining radial arm gate that contractors will assemble inside a winter enclosure being built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' contractor.
Fooks also reported that County Road 32 became the second of 19 crossings open to traffic in the month referenced and that the southern embankment reach 2b work included opening an up-and-over for County Road 16 and installation of flap gates at the downstream end of the SC 2B weir structure. He encouraged interested members of the public to "follow along by subscribing to the Diversion Current, our monthly e-newsletter."
Meeting discussion included a brief question from Mayor Dardis about whether any construction work would be carried into the next year's cash budget. Paul Barthold, a staff member who responded at the board's request, said the majority of the work is complete and that a few P3 milestone payments were being pushed into the next budget cycle. "Beyond that I don't see any additional costs or additional carryover from last year," Barthold said. He added that the final cash budget would be very close to the version shown at the prior meeting.
No formal votes were taken on construction-related items during the update; the presentation served as an informational briefing to the board.
