Lake Isabella, CA - The Army Corp of Engineers has announced that they have awarded the contract to relocate two major highways to make room for the Lake Isabella Dam Project.

The corp is now coordinating with CalTrans and AE Design Services to relocate Highway 178 and Highway 155 and Lake Isabella Boulevard.

The more than 60-year-old dam is considered one of the most high risk dams in the country due to the Kern Canyon fault and heavy see page.

But before the dam can be rebuilt, they first need to relocate the roads, realign the canal and raise the spill-ways, which are there in case of an emergency.

"The first thing that's going to happen are the roadway relocations for the 155 and 178," said Mike Ruthford, technical Lead of the USACE Sacramento.

"Both highways 155 and 178 are going to have about a mile each replaced and we need to do that to get room to raise each of the dams the main dam and the auxiliary dam 16 feet," said John Menniti, the project manager of the USACE Sacramento.

The highway construction is set to begin in 2015.