Jill Schramm/MDN Repair work occurs on a pier under the Third Street Northeast Bridge as members of the Minot City Council and Engineering Department stand on the partially closed bridge during a tour Sept. 9.

The Minot City Council is seeking an action plan to address deficiencies with the Third Street Bridge following an engineering report delivered Monday, Jan. 5.

“We’ll be back in front of you here this spring as we are able to confer with some others,” City Engineer Lance Meyer told the council regarding the timing of an action plan.

Constructed in 1936, the 912-foot bridge carries Third Street Northeast over the Souris River and three BNSF Railway lines.

“As with many pieces of infrastructure of this age, the bridge is reaching the end of its useful life cycle,” according to an assessment report prepared by consulting firm KLJ. “Decades of use and exposure to the environment, combined with bridge and construction details more susceptible to deterioration, have resulted in a bridge in need of numerous repairs.”

Repair work to piers in 2025 addressed the most urgent issues, the report continued.

“However, additional critical repairs are still required in many areas of the bridge to prevent a reduction in load rating or permanent closure of the bridge. These additional repair areas will soon reach critical status without further attention. Further deterioration in areas critical to the bridge load path, such as the pier overhang or underneath bridge bearings, would likely result in a Critical Finding during a bridge safety inspection. As a result of a critical finding, it can be anticipated that either a traffic lane closure on the bridge or even a complete closure of the structure would likely be required, depending on the finding,” KLJ stated.

Overall, the bridge condition is considered to be poor, based on specifications for the National Bridge Inventory, with numerous deficiencies across nearly the entire structure.

Specific issues with the bridge were further outlined at Monday’s meeting by KLJ.

The estimated cost of repairs is between $6.6 million-$12 million. Completing only the recommended work would reduce the anticipated cost to between $2.9 million-$5.8 million, KLJ’s report noted.

In 1985, the North Dakota Department of Transportation completed a major reconstruction of the structure. Beginning in 2010, the city and Houston Engineering completed additional rehabilitation. During 2025, Pier 3 and 4 were rehabilitated, a bearing was replaced and deck and joint repairs were made.

The city already has approved some additional repairs, but KLJ also suggested within the next year the repair of about 10% of the 900 cross-frame, diaphragm and/or lateral bracing locations. The firm also recommended other high priority repairs within the next five years to minimize further damage and deterioration of the structure, while medium priority repairs will be required over the next five to 10 years to prevent degradation over time and keep up with scheduled maintenance.