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Griggs County asks ND DOT to reconstruct Highway 1, commissioners approve resolution
Summary
Griggs County commissioners approved a resolution asking the North Dakota Department of Transportation to fully reconstruct State Highway 1 from ND 200 north to the Griggs County line, citing aging design, failing asphalt and safety concerns for modern traffic and farm equipment.
Griggs County commissioners on July 8 approved a resolution asking the North Dakota Department of Transportation to reconstruct State Highway 1 from the junction with ND 200 North to the Griggs County line.
The county’s road superintendent summarized the resolution to the commission, saying the highway sections "are late 1940s and fifties" design and that "the asphalt surface is failing for its entire length" and needs modern design, sight-distance improvements and added shoulders to support modern farm equipment and emergency stops. The resolution asks the ND DOT to "totally reconstruct" those sections and to respond to the county request.
The commissioners moved and seconded the resolution; a voice vote approved it and the chair announced the motion carried. Commissioners did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting text; the minutes record the vote as passed.
Why it matters: County officials and local drivers said the narrow lanes, steep shoulders and failing pavement create hazards for school buses, pickups and farm equipment, and several speakers said commercial drivers avoid the route because of the road condition. Commissioners and the road superintendent said prior DOT responses cited traffic counts as a limiting factor for reconstruction, but local officials want the DOT to reconsider with the county’s documentation.
County roads and related work: Commissioners also discussed other road projects at the meeting. Road Superintendent Wayne said two county safety grant applications — for County Road 8 west of Binford and County Road 2 into Red Willow — were denied and the county plans to resubmit, possibly under the flexible transportation fund now open. Wayne briefed commissioners on upcoming work including chip seal and pavement patching on County Road 19 and the Hannaford reconstruction project, which crews expect to start removing old curbs July 28 with completion estimated in late summer.
Officials said options for County Road 8 include paving the existing surface with additional riprap at the edge to reduce drop-off, and milling or partial resurfacing were discussed as alternatives to full shoulder widening. Wayne said he will continue work on project prioritization for bridge funding and that a county bridge list will be submitted to DOT for available bridge funds.
Next steps: The county will place the DOT resolution on letterhead and submit it to the ND DOT commissioner, reapply for the denied safety grants, and prioritize bridge projects for DOT funding. Commissioners directed staff to continue coordination with the DOT and county engineers.
