ND DOT seeks to drop county‑newspaper requirement for construction bid notices

The North Dakota Department of Transportation asked the Senate Transportation Committee to approve Senate Bill 2062 to allow the department to advertise construction bid opportunities electronically rather than publishing legal notices in each county’s official newspaper.

The bill, introduced at the hearing by Matt Lindeman, deputy director for engineering at the North Dakota Department of Transportation, would amend “section 240219 in North Dakota Century Code” to permit the DOT to use its website, targeted email lists, subscription services and other electronic platforms in place of the current newspaper publication requirement. Lindeman said the change would broaden contractor outreach and reduce administrative time and cost.

"Those legal advertisements printed in local newspapers are not the most effective method to advertise large…