DOT seeks $15.5 million for section building replacements and facility repairs
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Summary
The Department of Transportation presented a prioritized capital improvement plan to the Appropriations Government Operations Division that requests $15.5 million (highway fund) for replacement and repair of section buildings and other district facilities.
The Department of Transportation asked the House Appropriations Government Operations Division for $15.5 million in one‑time highway fund authority to address high‑priority facility needs including replacement and upgrades of several section buildings.
"Over the last couple bienniums, we've developed a capital improvement plan for all of our facilities," Director Ron Henke told the committee as he walked members through the department's long sheet of facility priorities. Henke said the $15.5 million request is targeted to build a Towner section building, a Dickinson truck barn, and replace Bully and Rolla section buildings.
Henke said the department scored facility needs and listed projects in priority order on the packet the committee received. "This is priority order for us," he said when a legislator asked how projects were ranked. He added a caveat that site‑specific issues—such as airport height restrictions at Towner—might move a project down the list and the department would proceed to the next priority if a particular project encountered an impediment.
The department also presented a condition‑based inventory that classifies items as danger/alarm, alert phase 1 and 2, and caution; many of the buildings on the long sheet showed elements that the department identified as urgent roof, HVAC or other life‑cycle needs. Henke said four section buildings are already under construction this biennium and the recently bid projects have been coming in at or under expected square‑foot costs.
Henke confirmed the $15.5 million proposal is funded from the highway fund (not SIF) and that the Senate placed some of these dollars as one‑time authority rather than base increases. If the committee approves the request, DOT intends to bid and construct the prioritized facilities in the next biennium.
Committee members asked for clarification on which entries in the long sheet corresponded to the $15.5 million and whether the items were listed in priority order; Henke walked members through the packet and noted the department had hired architects and developed preliminary plans for the proposed projects.