The portion of the River’s Edge Trail that has been closed since late September has reopened to pedestrian traffic.

Temporary repairs to a storm drain break have been completed so on Nov. 6, the section of trail between the bridges at 9th Street North and 15th Street North, reopened.

North River Road in the same area remains closed as the Montana Department of Transportation, City of Great Falls and Cascade County continue working on a solution for the storm drain break.

There is no timeline for the road to be reopened, according to the city.

In late September, Cascade County public works alerted the public to the road closure.

North River Road remains closed, River’s Edge Trail to reopen next week

The city issued a release a week later regarding the trail closure, which had been confirmed to The Electric by city staff days prior.

In late October, The Electric followed up with city, county and MDT officials about the closure.

On Oct. 29, Jim Wingerter, Great Falls district administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, told The Electric that his office is researching documents and agreements to determine ownership and responsibility for the storm drain.

The road and trail were closed Sept. 23 due to sinkholes near North River Road, one between the Missouri River and the River’s Edge Trail just east of the old 9th Street bridge, the other behind the curb radius at the intersection of North River Road and 10th Street Northeast, County Public Works Director Les Payne told The Electric last month.

Portion of North River Road closed indefinitely

MDT is taking the lead to expedite materials and repairs, Wingerter said, and the failed storm drain impacts MDT, the City of Great Falls and Cascade County.

They’re working on a temporary fix to prevent further erosion and the permanent design process is underway, Wingerter said.

State funding will cover initial costs and additional funding options may be pursued as the project progresses and responsibilities are determined, he said.

The storm drain pipe is located about 8 to 10 feet below the ground surface and has been corroding for a long period of time, degrading the pipe structure, causing storm water runoff to erode the surrounding soils, Wingerter told The Electric.

City approves next phase of river bank stabilization project

The erosion created a void, causing the two sinkholes, Wingerter said, and there was no indication of the drain pipe failure or the voids until the sinkholes appeared and were noticed by city staff on Sept. 23.

There’s been no damage to the road or trail at this point and both were closed as soon as the sinkholes were discovered for safety reasons.

The void under the River’s Edge Trail was filled, Wingerter said.

Steve Herrig, Great Falls Park and Recreation director, said on Oct. 29 that his department was waiting for a second pour on Nov. 1 and plan to reopen the trail to food and bike traffic early next week.

North River Road will remain closed for now, Wingerter said, as they’re not confident of existing conditions under the roadway.

For more information on road updates, contact Cascade County Public Works at 406-454-6920.

Contact the city Park and Recreation Department for questions about the trail at 406-771-1265.