The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $67 million contract to Industrial Builders Incorporated of West Fargo, N.D., to complete the Interstate 29 grade raise portion of the Fargo, N.D. / Moorhead, Minn., Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project, April 9.

This project consists of a grade raise of I-29 for approximately 4 mi. to bring the roadway out of the 500-year flood elevation. The project extends from south of Exit 50 (Hickson Interchange) to north of Exit 54 (Davenport/Oxbow Interchange) and includes an up and-over where I-29 crosses the southern embankment near the Wild Rice River; bridge construction and replacement; a temporary by-pass; and work on adjacent county roads 18 and 81 in the vicinity of Oxbow.

This congressionally authorized project is a 30-mi.-long diversion channel in North Dakota with upstream staging. The plan includes a 21-mi.-long southern embankment; 19 highway bridges; three railroad bridges; three gated control structures; and two aqueduct structures.

The Corps is working in partnership on this project with the cities of Fargo and Moorhead and the Metro Flood Diversion Authority. This project provides flood risk reduction for more than 230,000 people and 70 sq. mi. of infrastructure in the communities of Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Horace and Harwood.