The Dickinson City Commission unanimously approved two preliminary NDDOT engineering agreements for micro-surface and milling and overlay projects at City Hall on Tuesday, July 6th.
The City of Dickinson has an arrangement with the NDDOT to maintain and participate in improvement projects, and the state pays for the vast majority of improvements along state rights of way, said Planning Director Walter Hadley. The city is involved in maintaining this infrastructure, Hadley noted.
Although the engineers are still in the design / survey process, Hadley said the main interesting element of these two projects is checking ramps to make sure they’re compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. When carrying out road / sidewalk maintenance projects, there are federal mandates for the state to be ADA compliant. In recent years the City of Dickinson has made efforts to replace ramps so that they are handicap accessible, he noted.
“… So if there are problems that are handicap accessible, or if they have erupted or inaccessible, the ADA guidelines will be superseded,” Hadley said.
The mill and overlay would start at 29th Street North and extend to the north city limits in Dickinson, near The Hub, or between 34th and 40th Streets. This project is provisionally scheduled for 2024. That would be about a mile. Although NDDOT plans to continue paving north of this section, the city has no stake in this rural area, according to NDDOT District Engineer Rob Rayhorn.
This mill and overlay project will most likely have a grinder that will grind out an inch of the pavement. This will eliminate the cracks and imperfections. The crews will then re-asphalt 2-3 inches of asphalt on this renewed pavement. The traffic remains open all the time, only a part is blocked.
The micro-surface project is tentatively planned for 2023 and will take approximately five weeks.
“It’s really between a chip seal and a sidewalk where they mix the chips with oil and cement and then put a thin layer on the street. Normally, if we were doing a chip sealer on a country road when we were in a city, we’d like to do a micro-coating because there wouldn’t be any loose chips flying around, breaking windshields or causing such problems, ”said Rayhorn. “It’s a much cleaner project; there is no dust and no loose chips. ”
Disabled ramps (pictured above) are being considered for two future government road projects in Dickinson along Highway 22. The state will review these ramps under the Americans with Disabilities Act and update defective ramps. (Jackie Jahfetson / The Dickinson Press)
The city would not be obliged to provide any funding for either project, as 80% of the projects are financed by the federal government and 20% by the state, said Rayhorn.
“People always wonder if we’re getting a special rating because there’s a project or how much the city is spending and so on. But the city wouldn’t take part, said Rayhorn.
Similar to the ongoing road project on the East Business Loop, these two future projects on Highway 22 would allow traffic to flow regularly, Hadley said. The current project, which is east of Villard Avenue, is a bit more complex as it enlarges the street so that it exposes more dirt.
“For this, sanding and then sealing chips and applying and all that stuff, you work in the profile of the streets (that are). You don’t drive over the curb so it’s pretty easy to control, ”he said. “Even on the highways, they drag a lane, and that is the lane that is closed. Then they usually go in and fix it, which means they then go in and pave it. Then they open that up and then they start working on the other. “
In the four-lane area north of Dickinson near The Hub, Hadley predicts they will only close one lane in one direction due to immobilization and equipment costs. There may be a waiting time of approximately 30 minutes during the overlay. Most businesses have access beyond Highway 22, however, Hadley said, adding that the majority of residences still have alley access.
“There will be a bit of inconvenience, I’m sure. But you will end up on a new road. It’s a new avenue that fortunately Dickinson taxpayers don’t have to turn the bill over. Many churches have taken over these groups across the country in full, then this work and these costs would be borne entirely by the city – which I think we don’t want yet.
The state will award the offers for the two projects and set parameters for the start and completion dates.
“It’s a good opportunity to work with the state transportation companies to not only improve the freeway for those passing through, (but) because people are obviously using it every day, which is the bulk of the traffic there.” Hadley added.
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