Central ND News

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $28,816,840 for three projects in North Dakota through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program.

The funds will be allocated as follows:

- $23,816,550 to the City of West Fargo for the installation of a road-rail grade separation at the intersection of 9th Street NE and an existing transcontinental BNSF rail line. The project includes pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA accommodations.

- $3,999,564 to the Spirit Lake Tribe for designing a road maintenance and salt and sand storage space. This project will address deteriorating roadway infrastructure, drainage issues, shoulder widening, parking and driveway accessibility for residents, ADA accessibility, pedestrian lighting, and the addition of shared-use paths and pedestrian trails.

- $1,000,726 to the Three Affiliated Tribes to identify and prioritize highway mitigation measures along a five-mile corridor of Highway 22 near North Dakota’s first Tribal National Park. The goal is to improve safety for travelers while maintaining wildlife movement.

“Safe and accessible transportation is essential to the well-being of North Dakotans,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). “From North Dakota’s tribal communities to the city of West Fargo, these RAISE grants will enhance our state’s transportation network, ensuring safer and more efficient travel for residents and visitors alike.”

As Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Cramer played a role in crafting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which reauthorized the RAISE grant program and increased its funding. The RAISE grant program assists project sponsors at both state and local levels—including municipalities, tribal governments, counties—in completing critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects.

Cramer supported applications submitted by both the Spirit Lake Tribe and the City of West Fargo through written endorsements.