FARGO, ND (MFDA) – With the Fargo-Moorhead area experiencing more spring weather, residents will notice work resuming at some FM Area Diversion construction sites, including along I-29. Some components also are wrapping up. With four shooflies, or bypasses, achieving an interim completion certificate, the Metro Flood Diversion Authority released its first payment to the public-private partnership, or P3, developer, the Red River Valley Alliance, on Wednesday for $14.4 million.

One of the benefits of using a P3 for portions of the FM Area Diversion project’s construction means that the developer takes on the financial risk at the start of the project and then receives milestone payments when components achieve an interim completion certificate in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Partnership Agreement. This helps to protect the taxpayers who have invested in the project since no payments are made until work is fully done.

“We’re happy to report that we were able to mark this milestone on the project with our first P3 payment,” said Jason Benson, MFDA executive director. “The developer has numerous other components under construction, and we’re looking forward to those being satisfactorily completed, as well, at which time more payments will be made.”

Those under-construction pieces by the developer as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can be seen in the March drone construction update video: https://youtu.be/CU-KK7KBMxc.

Crossings: Work resumed at the I-29 crossings where Industrial Builders, an ASN Constructors subcontractor, has begun forming the new northbound bridge deck. Geofoam, a lightweight fill material, will be installed in coming weeks where the roadway approaches meet the bridge ends to mitigate differential settlement. Work also continues nearby at the BNSF Hillsboro subdivision rail line and County Road 81 crossings, where this month crews have completed driving h-pile foundations and are continuing construction of bridge abutments and piers. 

Inlets: Fifteen inlets are being constructed to route water into the stormwater diversion channel. This past month, ASN Constructors focused on the Raymond Township Section 27 Drain inlet, where they installed and backfilled around concrete pipes. They also are continuing with construction of concrete headwalls at both the up and downstream ends of the inlet.

Maple River Aqueduct: Significant work is underway at the Maple River Aqueduct, one of two heated aqueducts that will route rivers over the stormwater diversion channel. At the aqueduct’s flume and conduit structure, ASN Constructors has continued forming and placing portions of the required 10,000 cubic yards of concrete, including the structure’s west abutment, the walkway atop the south flume wall, and its adjacent wingwalls. They also began driving sheet piles for the aqueduct spillway, which will divert excess flow into the stormwater diversion channel during flood events, thereby regulating flows crossing the aqueduct flume and into the metro area. 

Red River Structure: With the placement of the third and final radial-arm gate at the Red River Structure this month, all eight control structure gates are now in place, marking a major milestone. Ames Construction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor, also continues to drive piling and place concrete on the upstream apron floodwalls. Beyond the concrete work, formwork and decking also have been installed for the mechanical platform and vehicle service bridge.

Stormwater Diversion Channel: Northwest of Harwood, North Dakota, in Reach 3 of the diversion channel, ASN Constructors excavated another plug, or earthen channel obstruction. The new County Road 32 crossing opened to traffic late last year, which makes way for removing the existing County Road 32 and for excavation of the diversion channel. Once completed, excavation in this area will connect completed channel segments both up and downstream.

With increased construction activity, there is now a single-lane closure west of Fargo-Moorhead on I-94 and the same is anticipated in coming weeks on I-29 in coming weeks. Those will be noticed by the Red River Valley Alliance and also shared at FMDiversion.gov.