West-side road opens on Friday

The West-side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road (Forest Road 895) will reopen at noon on Friday, Flathead National Forest officials have announced. 

Visitors are advised to be alert for trucks and other equipment, and they also are cautioned that the road shoulders are soft.

“We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding over the last year as we worked on this project,” Forest Supervisor Chip Weber said in a news release. “I imagine many will be out hunting or otherwise enjoying the area this weekend, and I am excited for them to experience the road improvements firsthand.”

The 11-mile repaving and resurfacing project, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, began last fall. “What was accomplished with this ARRA funding was more than the forest would have been able to do in 25 years with its own resources,” Weber noted.

The resurfacing of the East-side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road, as well as the west-side road beyond the first 11 miles, previously completed with federal  funding.  

More than 100 miles of road around Hungry Horse Reservoir have been enhanced through federal stimulus funding.

For information about recreating in the area, contact the Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger Station at 387-3800 or the Spotted Bear Ranger Station at 758-5376.