NDDOT Receives $20 Million to Improve Safety with Freight Reliability, Preservation on US 52 Route

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BISMARCK, N.D. - The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) received a $20,000,000 award through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program. This funding will help NDDOT enhance the US 52 route by adding railroad bypass lanes, improving safety, and increasing the efficiency of passenger and freight transportation across the state.

Specifically, this project will rehabilitate approximately 45 miles of existing asphalt pavement from west of Drake to Fessenden, consolidate access points at the intersection of US 52 and North Dakota Highway 3 in Harvey, and add acceleration and deceleration lanes at existing at-grade railroad crossings. It will also add turn lanes at intersections from seven miles south of Portal to Carrington.

"As we say, North Dakota feeds and fuels the world, and Highway 52 is an essential artery for the flow of many of our goods getting to markets," said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "This grant will help expand this really important transportation corridor and then at the same time, improves the safety for producers and the traveling public."

In May, the North Dakota delegation sent a letter in support of NDDOT's Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant application. Cramer led an amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act which passed the Senate EPW Committee in 2021, requiring the Secretary of Transportation to prioritize states which have never received an INFRA grant. After Cramer's efforts, North Dakota received its first INFRA grant the same year. This is North Dakota's second INFRA award since the passage of Cramer's amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act.