Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
Senator Led ND Delegation in Securing Project Funding, Which Will Significantly Enhance Mobility & Safety For UND, Hospital Access
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded a $30 million grant for the 42nd Street Grade Separation Project in Grand Forks. The award is being made under the FRA’s Railroad Crossing Elimination grant program and will support the final design and construction of a grade separation and walking path to improve mobility and safety for both motorized traffic and pedestrians near the University of North Dakota (UND), while also improving hospital access and north-south connectivity in the city.
Currently, the BNSF rail line bisects the city, requiring traffic to frequently re-route more than one mile from the 42nd Street at-grade crossing to the Columbia Road grade-separated crossing. Both rail and roadway traffic are projected to increase at this crossing in the coming years, which will exacerbate the already existing delays. Accordingly, Hoeven led the North Dakota delegation in working to secure funding for the project, stressing the impact on local residents, as well as university students and faculty.
“We worked to secure this $30 million award, as it will support needed improvements to the rail crossing at 42nd Street in Grand Forks, providing both a grade separation for the road and a walking path,” said Senator Hoeven. “These enhancements will benefit not only those who attend and work at UND, a world-class institution that prepares students in a wide array of fields important to our state and nation, but improve efficiency and safety for the city’s residents and all those who travel through Grand Forks.”
“I would like to thank our federal delegation for raising awareness of this project at a national level and for continuing to champion Grand Forks,” said Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski.
In addition to today’s award, the project is supported by $7.5 million in Federal Highway Administration funds and $11.4 million in non-federal matching funds from the North Dakota Department of Transportation, BNSF and the City of Grand Forks.
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