# Cass County engineer details Highway 81 collapse cause

> Cass County engineer explains Highway 81 embankment failure cause and repair timeline.
- Title: Cass County engineer details Highway 81 collapse cause
- Summary: Cass County engineer explains Highway 81 embankment failure cause and repair timeline. Cass County engineer says Highway 81 collapse caused by dry soil and…
- Keywords: cass county, highway 81, fargo-moorhead diversion project, u.s. army corps of engineers, embankment failure, road repair, news, local, Cass, County, engineer, details
- Source: Valleynewslive — https://valleynewslive.com/2026/09/22/cass-county-engineer-details-cause-highway-81-embankment-failure-gives-update-timeline
- Published: 2026-09-22T19:48:56.153+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: cass county, highway 81, fargo-moorhead diversion project, u.s. army corps of engineers, embankment failure, road repair, news, local
## Highway 81 closure confirmed
Cass County Engineer Kyle Litchy told the Commission on Monday, Sept. 21 that Highway 81 north of Hickson remains closed after a section of the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Area Project collapsed.
## Crack grew before Labor Day
Crews noticed cracking up and over the southern embankment before Labor Day, with a 1-inch crack turning into a 4-foot elevation drop within 72 hours.
## Cause tied to soil moisture
The failure resulted from dry weather and the amount of water necessary in clay to meet compaction requirements, with slopes originally at 5-to-1 then breaking to 3-to-1.
## Rebuild planned at six-to-one slopes
The solution is to remove failed material and reconstruct slopes to 6-to-1, with the failure limited to south and north of the southern embankment.
## Road expected to reopen as gravel
There’s a 50-50 chance the road will reopen as gravel by winter if weather permits, but may stay closed if too much rain occurs.
## Repair funding depends on prior events
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said who pays for repairs depends on what happened before the damage occurred.
## Key takeaway

Cass County engineer says Highway 81 collapse caused by dry soil and water movement, with road expected to reopen as gravel by winter if weather permits.