The city updates its five-year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) each year to reflect shifting priorities and funding situations.

“The majority of the CIP is driven by phases of flood control,” City Engineer Lance Meyer said, noting it accounts for 68% of the five-year $888 million CIP. The start of the Maple Diversion project is set to begin in 2027.

The majority of the capital improvement plan is funded with federal and state funds, with sales tax providing much of the local share, Meyer said.

The proposed projects for 2027 include airport runway rehabilitation, $4.8 million; Third Street Northeast Bridge repairs, $2.3 million; 16th Street Southwest interchange rehabilitation, $7.46 million; Third Street East and Central Avenue reconstruction, $12 million; and 27th Street Northeast rail overpass, $2.6 million.

JILL SCHRAMM/MDN A water and sewer building in southeast Minot that was to be replaced with new construction now could be retained and repaired as the Minot City Council considers future capital improvements spending.

Meyer explained the longer range plan is to replace the Third Street bridge. However, the city doesn’t have the funds at this time to do the engineering, property acquisitions and other tasks necessary for a project of that size, he said. He suggested spending the $2.3 million on bridge repairs in 2027 to address critical needs and buy some time.

The 16th Street interchange project, scheduled for 2027-2028, has obtained $3.9 million in federal funds and $1.5 million in state funds, with about $2 million available from the local sales tax, according to the CIP.

“That would replace the three traffic signals at the interchange, rehab all the concrete. We have a lot of broken slabs. It’s a pretty rough ride,” Meyer said. “We’d fix and replace the approach slabs that have settled on both ends of the bridge. Basically, we haven’t touched that whole project since it was built in the late 1980s, so it’s time for a major rehab.”

Airport director Jennifer Eckman said the runway project could be bid this year, depending on the funding discretion of the Federal Aviation Administration. Early bidding would benefit the city because the federal match of 95% is dropping to 90% in 2027, she said. It also could eliminate the need to include funding in the 2027-2031 CIP.

The CIP for 2027 also includes nearly $8 million in watermain replacements.

Public Works Utilities Director Jason Sorenson said state’s cost share assistance is allowing the city to bump up the extent of water main replacement being done. He estimated 68 miles of cast iron water still need replacing.

Finance Director David Lakefield said the city’s pace for replacing pipes is about three miles a year, allowing for completion in about 20 years if state funding programs remain. He also referenced concerns about Minot’s water quality that have arisen in the city election campaign. He said the quality issues arise because of the condition of old watermains in the distribution system.

Sorenson said the city could speed up the replacement schedule, but that becomes impactful on residents already faced with a number of torn up streets for infrastructure work each summer.

Additionally, the proposed CIP for 2027 includes $20,000 from sales tax to replace training classrooms at the fire department’s training ground site. Preliminary design work would start this year, with construction in 2028.

The CIP includes another $5 million for police department renovations in 2027. The police department was allocated $5 million this year as part of a three-year project to remodel the building. Police Chief Michael Frye said Ackerman-Estvold is working on a design, but it is uncertain whether construction will happen this year.

“It could happen in the fall, but they also have to look at contractors and other things like that – what’s available to make those things happen,” Frye said.

City Manager Tom Joyce estimated the city has spent roughly $200,000 on engineering and design from the initial $5 million. He said more information will be available this summer to guide budget decisions.

Regarding engineering projects, Meyer said he would like to use already allocated sales tax dollars to rotate traffic signal replacement and city bridge rehabilitations in alternating years.

“We talk a lot about the Third Street bridge, which has the most visible issues, but if you look at the other 12 bridges that the city owns in town, we still have some maintenance needs on those bridges,” he said. “I want to start rotating a bridge project with a traffic signal project here over the next few years to make sure those bridges don’t deteriorate to the point where we have to do closures and other things like we’re having to see with Third Street.”

The 2027 CIP includes $666,000 for traffic signals and $175,000 for bridges.

The proposed CIP removes the 2027 Edison Safe Routes to School Project. Meyer said Safe Routes to School sidewalk projects each can cost the city up to $500,000 after grants. The North Dakota Department of Transportation has awarded funding for the Edison project that potentially would need to be rescinded, he said.

“Projects like this, while important, they’re just not going to compete with a city bridge rehab project. That’s why we’re deprioritizing those for the time being until we get caught up on some other city infrastructure,” Meyer said.

He also suggested pausing conversion to LED street lights and other street light power projects as an option to free up money for higher priority items.

The council discussed the city’s water and sewer headquarters building, listed in the CIP for replacement at $3.7 million. The council previously put the project on hold after bids came in with discrepancies.

Council member Mike Blessum asked Monday about rehabbing the building instead. Sorenson responded the building needs roof repair and more space that a 500-1,000 square foot addition could provide.

Blessum said the city should make needed changes, but those would cost considerably less than a new building. The council directed Public Works to invite the engineer back to evaluate a repair project and provide a report.

Eckman also provided an update on another capital project involving utilities for a hangar development. Preliminary design work determined a lift station is necessary, which falls outside the funding available. Consequently, only the gas line will be installed this year, and the lift station and water lines could be pushed into the 2027 construction season, she said.

A public hearing on the CIP is scheduled for Monday, May 4, with final council action anticipated later in May.

Meyer also alerted the council to the need to eventually rebuild Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue Northwest, from Broadway to the U.S. Highway 83 Bypass, which would take about 10 years to complete. Improvements to 21st Avenue and 30th Avenue Northwest wouldn’t be scheduled for construction until the 2040s, he said.

“Those are three very important minor arterials in north Minot that we really don’t have a funding source for, to construct in short order. So, if the city continues to grow in those areas, we’re going to be short on the transportation infrastructure side for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Meyer also mentioned the underground infrastructure in sections of northeast Minot that is reaching 100 years in age. The city doesn’t have a good budget plan at this time to replace that aging infrastructure, he said.