Road superintendent reports progress on Hannaford project; county seeks flex funds for two road widening projects

Griggs County Road Superintendent Wayne updated commissioners on the County 26 (Hannaford) reconstruction and other projects and said the county submitted two applications for state flexible transportation funds.

Wayne said contractor crews completed removals, installed geogrid and salvage base under the road, and poured curb; the contractor will work on sidewalks and the intersection where pavement transitions to gravel. Wayne said a sand sample showed higher fines in one test but that additional cylinders and samples were taken and he did not anticipate strength issues. Wayne also described design adjustments including adding an ADA ramp at the post office and higher back curb through the BNSF site; he said contractors may need to remove and re-pour curb if the railroad tenant needs a wider driveway.

On other work, Wayne said County 19 final inspection with the state Department of Transportation is complete except for centerline tab removal, and that an approach complaint will be checked. He said one oil sample initially failed on a project but follow-up checks passed with no contract deductions.

Wayne said the county submitted flexible transportation fund applications for two projects: Griggs County 2 (sliver widening and aggregate shoulders to allow a future pavement overlay, estimated about $1,429,000) and County Road 8 (widening, shoulders and two culvert replacements, estimated about $2,300,000). He said the flex fund competition is limited and that if not selected, those projects will be rolled into another discretionary round. Wayne noted funding decisions should be announced before year-end but construction would be in 2027 if awarded.

Commissioners asked about design, local matching options and tonnage and asphalt pricing; Wayne provided rough cost estimates and said typical mid-price asphalt was around $55–$65 per ton including trucking and that asphalt cement (AC) is estimated as roughly a 6% add-on to tonnage costs.

Wayne also reported on bridge timing and possible fall or spring work for other bridge projects and discussed proactively planning removal of a sinking bridge before it fails; commissioners asked him to gather quotes from bridge contractors and crane operators for removal work.