Highway 62 grade raise approved

The Stutsman County Commission approved a grade raise to County Highway 62 between Interstate 94 and Spiritwood during a special meeting Wednesday. The contract for $630,000 was awarded to Lindberg Brothers Construction.

The contract was not awarded during Tuesday’s regular meeting because the price tag was more than double the engineer’s estimate of $292,000 for the project. The commission had directed Interstate Engineering to explore options with the North Dakota Department of Transportation before it considered the bid.

“There is only one bidder and there is a major industrial park out there,” said Mark Klose, commission chairman. “The project is zero cost to the county.”

As an emergency grade raise, the costs are 100 percent covered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. If the project is delayed and not completed as an emergency project, the county share of the cost would be 20 percent.

The project raises the road about 2 feet above existing water levels with widening and paving part of a follow up project to be considered next year.

A major cost to the project is rip rap, according to Al Lindberg, owner of Lindberg Brothers. Rip rap is the large rocks placed on the slopes of the road to prevent erosion from water and wave action.

Each source of rip-rap rock must be inspected by the North Dakota Historical Society for archeological links. Lindberg also reported many rock piles are inaccessible due to wet fields or farm crops around them.

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at (701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at knorman@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, highway, grade, construction