N.D. DOT asks for state matches for federal grants, cites bridge backlog and safety gains

Ron Henke, director of the Department of Transportation, told the Appropriations Committee the department needs state match money for federal discretionary grants and outlined growing costs for construction, fleet and maintenance.

Henke said the DOT is seeking state match dollars to leverage federal awards — including a $55 million federal grant for a four‑lane stretch of Highway 85 — and that the department is asking the Legislature to authorize borrowing and matching funds to move projects into construction. He also described a growing repair and replacement backlog across bridges, buildings and equipment and said recent safety programs are producing fewer fatalities.

Henke opened by thanking the committee for past transportation funding and said the DOT is shifting emphasis from only state highways to building connected corridors that include county and city roads so local traffic can feed higher‑capacity routes. "We are working hard to get build corridors, not just state highways," Henke said.

The DOT overview packaged several specific requests and program notes: the flexible transportation fund created last biennium (about $222.5 million total) has allowed more local projects; the agency says it has been awarded roughly $236 million in discretionary federal grants and has applied for many more; for one major Highway 85 corridor the department received $55 million in federal funds that require an equal state match; and the DOT has…