Board approves $10,000-share for revised RAISE planning grant application for Merrifield and inner-city bridge study

Polk County commissioners approved a request Dec. 3 to add $10,000 to the county’s share of a multi-jurisdictional application for a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE planning grant. The application — led by the City of East Grand Forks with partners that include Polk County, Grand Forks County and the City of Grand Forks — would fund planning and pre-design work to identify locations and corridor needs for one or more bridges across the Red River, including a proposed Merrifield alignment.

Reed Hutton, representing the City of East Grand Forks, told commissioners the partners previously applied and were denied; the team revised the application after receiving federal feedback and hopes to resubmit by the end of January. The total RAISE planning request can be up to $7.5 million; the county’s additional $10,000 contribution would increase Polk County’s matching share to equal the other partners’ contributions.

Commissioners discussed long-term cost uncertainty, the multi-phase nature of bridge planning and construction and who would own and maintain any future roads if an alignment required new ties into county or state routes. County Engineer Richard Steiner explained the planning grant would allow federal and state reviewers (FHWA, MnDOT, NDDOT) to study corridors and not pre-commit to specific bridge sites. Commissioners approved the $10,000 contribution by voice vote.

Ending: County staff and the City of East Grand Forks will finalize the revised application before the federal RAISE deadline; Polk County’s contribution brings it into parity with partner commitments and keeps the planning process moving forward.