Senate committee hears testimony on bill to fund rural bridge repairs

Senator Paul Thomas, sponsor of Senate Bill 2151, told the Senate Appropriations Government Operations Division that the bill would dedicate $100 million per biennium from Legacy Fund earnings to a long-term rural-bridge program aimed at county and township needs.

“The bill I bring to you today deals with the infrastructure deficiencies that we have across the entire state of North Dakota,” Senator Thomas said during opening remarks. He described bridges rated below legal loads and closed crossings as “critical needs,” and urged steady, predictable funding so counties and contractors can plan and respond.

Thomas and multiple county and township representatives cited data from the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and the North Dakota Department of Transportation showing a large and growing backlog of deficient bridges. Thomas said the institute identified about $1.08 billion in improvements and preventative maintenance needed for bridges 20 feet or longer on county and township roads over the next five bienniums; other witnesses referenced the institute’s related figures for shorter structures and a near-term backlog of several hundred million dollars.

Testimony painted a patchwork of local impacts. Todd Weber, vice president of the North Dakota Township Officers Association, told the committee that “in Cass County alone, there are 582 bridges,” including 354…