DOT Awards $24 Million for Red River Bridge Replacements

BISMARCK, N.D. - The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced an award of $24 million to replace three bridges over the Red River of the North through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program.

These bridges span North Dakota and Minnesota, linking the two states. This cooperative project will include replacing three Parker steel high truss bridges with clear-span designs and 850-foot abutments. These bridge replacements will ensure safety, remove barriers and increase economic competitiveness and opportunity, and improve quality of life for residents in nearby rural communities.

"The Red River divides North Dakota and Minnesota, and the bridges joining them are essential to these rural sister communities," said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "After years of local work this investment will help replace three aging bridges to keep communities safe and ensure the efficient transportation of goods and services across state lines."

In 2021, Cramer helped craft the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and shepherd it through Congress. The BUILD grant program, previously known as Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE), was reauthorized in the BIL. The program helps project sponsors at both the state and local levels, including municipalities, tribal governments, and counties, complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects.

Cramer and the North Dakota delegation wrote a letter supporting the application submitted by Norman County, highlighting the need for the project.