The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday and heard from the Polk County Highway Department. The commissioners were presented with various line items, and those items searching for approval were Polk County Highway Engineer Richard Sanders.
CLIMAX BRIDGE PROJECT
The commissioners were presented with the resolution to approve the Climax bridge replacement project, which saw Trail County, North Dakota, as the lead agency. The original estimate for the project was in the amount of $14,541,901. The project cost has been increased due to the price and installation of structural steel.
Robert R Schroder’s construction company was awarded the project with a bid in the amount of $16,831,006, which is two million dollars above the original estimate. “It was a little bit over 2 million dollars more, and if you look at the bid items, the one item that stands out is the structural steel,” said Sanders, “The original bid estimate was just 12 over million dollars.”
Polk County will receive $3,758,000 worth of bonding dollars for the project, which is over $500,000 more than the original agreement. Nearly $3,000,000 from federal funds will also go toward the Climax bridge. The County is responsible for the remaining $1,181,000 of the project, and the local option sales tax projected revenue will be used to fund the bridge. The commissioners approved that the project be started in November or December of this year.
CSAH 9 AND 21 PROJECTS RECEIVE BOND FUNDS
The commissioners approved grant funding from the Local Bridge Replacement program through the state of Minnesota for County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 9, located five miles west of Crookston, 5 miles, and CSAH 21, located east of Grand Forks.
The CSAH 9 project included Polk County receiving bonding funds through the local bridge replacement program in the amount of $451,667.50. Polk County is responsible for $498,606.55 in this replacement. “We’re receiving right at 50% of the project cost in bond funds,” said Sanders, “For CSAH 21, it’s a little bit different because bond funds are used for half of the bridge replacement. On that project, we will receive $310,275.50 in bonding. Polk County’s portion will be $714,191, so received around 30%.”
The following items that the Highway Department was searching for approval on three contracts regarding performance and final acceptance. The three projects were for box culverts placed in Crookston and Euclid, repairs to County Ditch 103 and County Ditch 126, and box culverts installed in Eden, Brandsvold, and Grove Park Township.
The box culverts placed in Eden, Brandsvold, and Grove Park Township’s final contract is in the amount of $458,213. The County Ditch 103 repairs are located south of East Grand Forks, and County Ditch 126 repairs are located east of East Grand Forks; the final contract is in the amount of $279,889.
The most significant adjustments were made with the Olson Construction Company contract due to moving items from the contract. The box culvert installment in Crookston and Euclid Township’s final contract agreement with Olson Construction out of Thief River Falls is in the amount of $259,489.28. “The reason for that is we removed a couple of items that we originally planned on them doing,” said Sanders, “This would’ve been in County Ditch 99 in Crookston in Crookston township, but because we’re doing a project with the water shed/soil and water district south of that project, we were able to remove some items.”
RAILROAD CROSSING SURFACE PROJECT UPDATES
The commissioners approved the resolution to an agreement with Burlington Northern regarding maintenance for railroad crossing projects.
Polk County Highway Department has agreements with Burlington Northern regarding Fosston’s CSAH 1 railroad crossing surface. That project will include updating the concrete planks on the railroad. “The planks are old and need maintenance,” said Sanders, “They’re going to come in and put new ones in, and the county is responsible to help pay for that maintenance.” Polk County’s responsibility for this project is in the amount of $144,000.
CSAH, 21located east of Trunk Highway 75, will also go through railroad crossing maintenance. This project will include the installation of a roundabout. The railroad needs an additional five feet of concrete planking to make this possible. “We will be bringing in a round-about at this location next year,” said Sanders, “Because of that, the railroad needed to add about five feet of concrete planking to the south side of CSAH 21, and they will also update the rest of it because it needs maintenance.” The County’s responsibility for this servicing upgrade will be $96,771.
COMMISSIONERS APPROVE ACCEPTING QUOTES FOR TWO MOTOR GRADER PACKERS
Sanders presented the board with the request for approval to accept quotes from RDO Equipment out of Grand Forks for two Motor Grader Packers. The Polk County Highway Department possesses motor graders that are used for blading the county roads and need new motor packers. “These pack the gravel behind the motor grader, so it’s packed and smooth,” said Sanders, “Instead of bladed like a typical gravel road appears.”
Sanders has allocated money for this purchase out of the 2024 equipment budget. The cost for both of the motor grader packers is in the amount of $78,138.
COMMISSIONERS APPROVE CAMPSITE RATES HEADING INTO 2024
The Highway Department owns campsites at both Maple Lake Park and Tilberg Park. Each site offers complete water and electric hook-up services. “Every two years, we survey the surrounding area, and all of the campgrounds in the surrounding areas,” said Sanders, “Just to make sure we know what they’re charging so we’re not charging less than them because we don’t want to take business away from our local partners.”
The commissioners approved the proposed rates heading into 2024 for those campsites.
