Senators Dorgan, Conrad secure North Dakota transportation and housing investments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad announced today that the U.S. Senate has approved the FY 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which includes investments for infrastructure and community development projects that will benefit North Dakota and create jobs across the state.

A number of important projects for North Dakota are in the bill, including:

o $2.5 million funding will be used to replace and relocate the existing terminal building at Grand Forks International Airport.

o $1.9 million in funding will be used for the Minot 55th Street East Grade Separation. This funding will be used for a construction project on the east side of the city of Minot to provide better access for freight and emergency vehicles to Minot’s industrial park.

o $1.5 million will be used to address the capital needs of the state’s three largest transit providers in the cities of Fargo, Minot and Grand Forks. Specifically, the funds will be used to replace buses and handicapped accessible vans and other transit capital needs.

o $1.2 million will be used to reconstruct 4 miles of BIA Route 7, which is a heavily traveled road on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. The route provides access to several critical services on the reservation including the school, college, law enforcement facility, the IHS hospital, and several housing sites.

o $1 million will be used to reconstruct 5.3 miles of the southbound lanes of Interstate 29, which is in need of repair due to the high volume of heavy freight traffic to and from Canada.

o $500,000 will be used for various safety improvements at Devils Lake Airport, including the extension of a runway, relocation of the perimeter road, and construction of a parallel taxiway and lighting system.

“These infrastructure projects will create jobs in North Dakota,” said the Senators in a joint statement. “This bill will strengthen North Dakota infrastructure and boost community building programs, which are both critical in spurring economic development. This funding represents an investment in the future of our state.”

The bill also provides $750,000 in funding for senior citizens housing on the Spirit Lake Reservation and $300,000 to clean up the Fortuna Radar Station in Divide County. A full list of projects funded in the bill is below.

North Dakota projects in the Transportation-HUD bill:

Grand Forks International Airport

$2.5 million

This funding will be used to replace and relocate the existing terminal building, which was originally constructed in 1964. The current terminal has numerous health and safety issues, and a thorough aviation review determined that the most feasible alternative to address these deficiencies was to construct a new terminal in a nearby location.

Minot 55th Street East Grade Separation

$1.9 million

This funding will be used for a construction project on the east side of the city of Minot to provide better access for freight and emergency vehicles to Minot’s industrial park. The proposed separation will alleviate a safety problem and traffic bottleneck that exists due to the dramatic increase of truck traffic from the fast-developing energy industry.

North Dakota Statewide Transit

$1.5 million

This funding will be used to address the capital needs of the state’s three largest transit providers in the cities of Fargo, Minot and Grand Forks. Specifically, the funds will be used to replace buses and handicapped accessible vans and other transit capital needs.

Reconstruction of BIA Route 7

$1.2 million

This funding will be used to reconstruct 4 miles of BIA Route 7, which is a heavily traveled road on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. The route provides access to several critical services on the reservation including the school, college, law enforcement facility, the IHS hospital, and several housing sites. The existing road is unsafe because of narrow shoulders, steep slopes and poor drainage.

I-29 Reconstruction in Fargo

$1 million

This funding will be used to reconstruct 5.3 miles of the southbound lanes of Interstate 29, which is in need of repair due to the high volume of heavy freight traffic to and from Canada.

Spirit Lake Elderly Complex

$750,000

This funding will be used to construct an 18-unit housing complex for elderly members of the Spirit Lake Nation. The one-bedroom units will be for seniors age 62 and older with incomes between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income. Currently, there are 43 Spirit Lake elders on the housing waiting list.

Devils Lake Regional Airport

$500,000

This funding would be used for various safety improvements at Devils Lake Airport, including the extension of a runway, relocation of the perimeter road, and construction of a parallel taxiway and lighting system.

Fortuna Radar Station Clean-up

$300,000

This funding will be used by Divide County to clear the dilapidated buildings and clean up the debris littered across the site of the former Fortuna Air Force Radar Station. The site presents a significant safety hazard, and this work is necessary to allow the county and residents to benefit from this former federal site.

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