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Beginning Monday, March 30, 2026, Riverside Road through Kootenai NWR will be closed for road improvements until fall. This closure includes the east and center parking lots and associated trailheads along the county road. The auto-tour route will remain open to east-bound motor vehicles (i.e. towards town), as conditions allow, until mid-July. Refuge headquarters, picnic area, and all trails, including foot traffic on the auto-tour route, will remain open throughout the duration of the construction project, as conditions allow. Western Federal Lands and its general contractor, Granite Construction Company, are improving the county road, from the Deep Creek Bridge to the Myrtle Creek Bridge, by raising and widening the existing roadway, installing new drainage structures and providing additional turnouts.
For the safety of the public, Riverside Road between the Deep Creek Bridge and Lion’s Den Road is closed to all access, including motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians, except for exiting vehicles from the auto-tour route, from March 30 to mid-July. Riverside Road, from the Lion’s Den intersection to Myrtle Creek Bridge will be intermittently impacted by construction operations by only allowing single lane traffic. Delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected. Please refer to the map for further details on the road closure and a proposed detour.
