East Side Reservoir Road closure extended

Hungry Horse News

The closure on the East Side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road (Forest Road 38) is extended due to unforeseen construction challenges with the installation of the open-bottom arch at McInernie Creek, the Forest Service said in a release. Structural damage was discovered in the concrete foundation, requiring additional work and delaying project completion. Originally estimated to be open for public travel in mid-August, the closure may be in place through mid-September, the Forest Service said.

Alternate access remains available via the West Side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road (Forest Road 895). Please allow for additional driving time when traveling to Spotted Bear Ranger Station or recreation areas along the east side of the reservoir, south of McInernie Creek. The Murray Bay campground, north of the McInernie project, remains open and accessible and is not impacted by the closure.

The East Side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road crosses McInernie Creek just past mile marker 22, approximately 1,000 feet upstream of the creek’s confluence with the reservoir. The existing culvert is undersized and perched, meaning the outlet is higher than the stream below, creating a barrier to upstream fish movement. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is working with the Hungry Horse Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest to restore migratory fish access on the creek for westslope cutthroat trout. The McInernie project will replace the undersized culvert with an open-bottom arch structure designed to provide year-round passage, opening migratory fish access to an additional two miles of high-quality habitat for westslope cutthroat trout. This project contributes to mitigation of hydropower impacts to fisheries and is conducted through the Bonneville Power Administration-funded Hungry Horse Mitigation Program.