Work continues on Fargo Moorhead flood diversion

Posted at 12:55 PM on June 25, 2012 by Dan Gunderson
Filed under: Environment, Flooding, Government

image courtesy USACE

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will preview initial design work for the Red River flood diversion project Tuesday at public meeting in Fargo.

Designers are starting at the end of the diversion channel and working back to the beginning. At the meeting, they'll preview a four-mile section of the 36-mile-long diversion which is designed to reduce flood risk for Fargo Moorhead.

The nearly $2 billion project can't be constructed until Congress authorizes construction and funds the federal share of the project. Congress has provided funding for initial design work.

The federal government would pay about $800 million of the project cost; state and local governments need to pay the rest. If the project receives congressional approval, construction would take about a decade.

The Corps of Engineers is also holding an information meeting on June 27 in Fargo for contractors interested in learning more about the project.