About 1 year after closing for repairs, road crossing Lake Grapevine dam reopens

After closing for repairs roughly a year ago, the road that crosses the Lake Grapevine dam is open again.

The road, Fairway Drive, was closed in August 2018 after heavy rains washed out a large stretch of soil on the eastern reservoir barrier. It has since received a new microseal and striping, and its downstream embankment slopes were also repaired, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth said on Facebook on Thursday.

The repairs are complete, the agency wrote, and the dam is functioning “as intended providing flood risk management, water supply and recreation opportunities.”

Fairway Drive, which connects Grapevine’s downtown and resort areas to Flower Mound, was used by about 7,000 vehicles a day before it closed, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments. It’s the main route to several popular attractions, including the 27-hole Grapevine Municipal Golf Course, Cowboys Golf Club and lakeside parks and marinas.

Officials decided to close the road in August 2018 following the heavy rains. The “shallow slide” of soil, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, would’ve eventually reached the road if repairs weren’t made.

The affected area of the dam was about 90 feet long. If there was a forecast of rain during the repairs, workers would cover the displaced soil with a giant tarp to prevent further erosion, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The project also focused on repairing cracks in the pavement and taking core samples from the road to ensure there was no unseen damage below the surface.

Motorists wanting to take Fairway Road during the repairs were redirected onto Texas 26 and Farm Road 2499.

Grapevine crews updated drivers on the project using electronic message boards on Texas 26.

This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 2:50 PM.