The Teakettle Fishing Access site on the Flathead River on U.S. Highway 2 in Columbia Falls will be closed for construction from Oct. 19 to Nov. 16.
Construction activities to improve the fishing access include expanding the parking area, improving the existing parking area to accommodate increasing visitation, and developing a new drive lane. It will also include installation of barrier rock to control vehicles, and installation of fencing to define the parking areas, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The closure is necessary to for public safety during construction and to allow the contractor unfettered access to the construction site.
The FWP Commission approved the closure at its Oct. 8 meeting and construction will begin as soon as possible to ensure completion before the onset of winter.
Other access sites nearby, including Kokanee Bend Fishing Access Site and House of Mystery River Access, will remain open and provide access to the Flathead River during the closure.
For more information, please contact FWP Region 1 Fishing Access Site Manager Tony Powell at 406-751-5423.
Powell, who is leading the project, said the site’s parking facilities, which a recent environmental assessment described as “primitive,” have been overwhelmed for years. The site sees more daily visitors than the parking lot can hold, so cars regularly line up along the access road.
“We’ve seen skyrocketing levels of use in the past few years,” Powell said.
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