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Polk County to lead multijurisdictional Bridge Investment Program application for Red River crossings
Summary
Polk County authorized Resolution 2026-25 to serve as lead applicant for a Bridge Investment Program grant to replace three bridges across the Red River; the Board also approved a county commitment letter and authorized the Chair to sign, pledging to secure the nonfederal match.
Polk County commissioners voted June 2 to serve as the lead applicant for a multijurisdictional Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant application to replace three bridges over the Red River of the North.
Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders outlined plans to seek USDOT funding to replace Bridges 5767, 6676 and 6646 at Nielsville, Hendrum and Georgetown. Resolution 2026-25, offered by Commissioner Paul Reese and seconded by Commissioner Warren Strandell, cites the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the federal Bridge Investment Program as funding sources and authorizes Polk County to be the lead applicant for counties in Minnesota (Polk, Clay, Norman) and North Dakota (Cass, Traill). The resolution also states Polk County will secure and guarantee the nonfederal share of project costs and be responsible for compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
The Board adopted the resolution unanimously. Separately, the Board approved a Polk County commitment letter and authorized the Chair to sign it.
Why it matters: replacement of large river bridges is a significant infrastructure project that can involve substantial federal funding, local matching commitments and multi-county coordination. The IIJA is noted in the minutes as authorizing $1.5 billion annually to be awarded by DOT for national infrastructure investments.
What’s next: staff will prepare the formal BIP application and the county will coordinate with partner counties and secure the specified nonfederal match if the project advances.
