19th Street Trail Phase II Construction to Begin in 2023
Dec. 22, 2022 - Phase II of the 19th Street Trail will undergo construction in 2023. The first phase of the project created a trail from Fort Lincoln Elementary school to Macedonia Ave on the south side of 19th Street SW. Phase II will extend the trail west to Highway 6.
An October re-bid of the project brought in a low bid of $1.49 million. A North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) transportation alternatives grant of $1.21 million and special assessment district will fund the project.
Background. The trail project first came up through the safe routes to school process and at the request of area residents. It’s anticipated to make the area safer for residents. Until phase I of the trail, the street running adjacent to Fort Lincoln Elementary School didn’t have sidewalks for children to ride bikes or walk to school safely.
Special Assessment District. The special assessment district consists of properties south of the Heart River, west of Hwy 1806, east of Hwy 6. Based on the actual bid, the estimated assessment for residential properties is about $603 for properties in tier 1 and $302 for properties in tier 2. Tier 1 properties are those located closer to the improvements. A five-year assessment period is planned. The Engineering Department anticipates special assessing will not take place until 2024, as construction will likely push too late into the year to be part of the 2023 special assessment verification process.
In February 2022, the project bid came in more than 40% over estimate. At that time, the City Commission and staff decided to rebid the project. The original estimate was reset to what bids actually came in at in February and the low bid received in October 2022 was still more than the revised estimate. However, in the months between February and October, the NDDOT increased its participation in transportation alternatives projects from a cap of $290,000 in federal funds to 80% of the construction cost. This decision increased the NDDOT’s participation to $1.21 million.
In November, the City Commission approved proposal of the special assessment district with the new cost estimates and a new protest period. The Engineering Department mailed a second round of letters with updated information to property owners in the proposed district.
At the public hearing on Dec. 6, City Engineer Justin Froseth reported 21 letters of protest from property owners in the area were received. The 1.5% protest rate was deemed insufficient and bids were awarded on a 4-1 vote.
Additional information on the 19th Street Trail Phase II project is available at cityofmandan.com/roadprojects. Please call the Engineering Department at 701-667-3225 with questions.