Kalispell, MT – May 18, 2022 – If you are planning a trip to Spotted Bear be prepared for roadwork delays. Starting early June, the Flathead National Forest will begin doing work to realign a portion National Forest System Road 38 (East Side Reservoir) at approximately mile marker 52.
The project, known as Ranger View Realignment, will relocate approximately 2,200 feet of road that is currently being eroded by the river at the base of the embankment resulting in a narrow roadway that will only continue to shrink. At the location of the failing slope, Rd 38 will be moved approximately 150 feet north-east into the cut slope, away from the South Fork of the Flathead River.
Delays on the road will not exceed 45 minutes at any one time, followed by an open period of no less than 15 minutes. Work is anticipated to be completed by the end of June.
The Forest competed for and received money for the project through the Federal Lands Transportation Program which was established to improve the transportation infrastructure owned and maintained by federal land management agencies.
For updates on the Ranger View Realignment, such as beginning and ending of roadwork, please visit our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/flathead or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/discovertheflathead.
If you have questions about planning your trip, please contact the Flathead National Forest Supervisor’s Office at (406) 758-5200, Spotted Bear Ranger Station at (406) 758-5376, or email us at sm.fs.fnfcontactus@usda.gov.
