Township Assistance Program

NDDOT Awards Township Assistance Program (TAP) Grants

Posted 12/22/23 (Fri)

12/22/2023 11:00 AM

NDDOT awards $10M in Township Assistance Program funding

BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) selected 22 projects to fund through the newly created Township Assistance Program (TAP).

Legislation creating the TAP was approved by the 68th Legislative Assembly and signed by Gov. Doug Burgum last spring. The program provides $10 million to NDDOT for improvements on township roads and bridges, using state funds to improve local corridors that are considered economic generators.

NDDOT worked with partners from Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota Association of Counties and North Dakota Township Officers Association to develop the program.

“This program is providing much-needed funding to improve rural roads and bridges in townships across North Dakota,” Burgum said. “Investing now will help ensure our citizens have safe and reliable routes throughout the state for decades to come.”

Townships worked with the county to submit their applications. The TAP received applications for 284 projects totaling $66.7 million in requested funds.

Twenty-one projects met program criteria and were fully funded. One alternative project will be partially funded and receive any unspent funds from other projects. For a complete list of projects visit www.dot.nd.gov/townshipprogram.

“The response to the Township Assistance Program was immense,” said NDDOT Director Ron Henke. “We realize there is still a great deal of need for funding on the county level, and we will be reaching out to unsuccessful applicants to gather information for consideration through the Flexible Transportation Fund.”

The Flexible Transportation Fund is a different funding formula also enacted by the legislature last session. For more information visit www.dot.nd.gov/flexfund. The deadline to apply is Dec. 31. CLICK FOR FLEX FUND GRANTS

Fully funded projects:

Burt Township / Ward County - culvert replacement, $140,800
Grand Forks / Grand Forks County - reshape and gravel, $291,500
Buxton Township / Traill County - reshape and gravel, $308,000
Ward County / Cameron Township ‐ reshape and gravel, $197,800
Mineral Springs Township / Slope County - reconstruction, $550,000
Divide Township in Dickey County - culvert replacement, $126,000
Westfield Township / Steele County - culvert replacement, $141,600
Hugo Township / Steele County - reconstruction, $249,700
Park Township / Pembina County - reshape and gravel, $153,400
Blooming Valley Township / Divide County - reshape and gravel, $196,200
South Minnewaukan Township / Ramsey County - reconstruction/grade raise, $990,000
Meadow Lake Township / Barnes County - reshape and gravel, $582,800
Pulaski Township / Walsh County - reshape and gravel, $121,000
Golden Glen Township / LaMoure County - reconstruction /grade raise, $292,000
Poplar Grove Township / Ramsey County - reconstruction /embankment repair, $192,500
Divide Township / Dickey County - culvert replacement, $741,000
Nora Township / LaMoure County - reconstruction, $275,000
Minnie Lake Township / Barnes County - reconstruction, $1,650,000
Lansford Township / Bottineau County - reshape and gravel, $56,100
Antler Township / Bottineau County - reconstruction, $143,800
Scotia Township / Bottineau County - reshape and gravel, $75,200

Partially funded project:

Charbon Township / McKenzie County - reconstruction, approximately $2.5 million

POSTED EARLIER:

The application period for the Township Assistance Program ended on October 6th. The applications that have been received will now be reviewed for qualification. Those that meet the required criteria will be rated for their impact on the local transportation network. The new Flexible Transportation Fund Program has now started with a separate application process.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) extended the application deadline to October 6, 2023.

The due date was extended to allow townships the necessary time to plan and submit project applications that meet the program criteria.

Up to $10 million is available through the Township Assistance Program (www.dot.nd.gov/townshipprogram). Projects that improve local corridors and project applications used to match federal funds will be given priority by the selection committee.

Townships must apply through their respective county using the Geographic Roadway Inventory Tool (GRIT) through the NDSU-Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI).

In applications that have already been submitted and applications yet to be submitted, please use the SCOPE OF WORK field to explain how the project meets the local corridor definition. Explain what higher level roads your project connects. If work is not needed on the entire local corridor, and there is a “restriction” along the local corridor, such as a bridge, culvert, grade raise area, etc., you do not need to draw or identify the entire corridor on the map, but do need to define the local corridor that this road is on in the scope of work. Explain what benefit the project will have to the local corridor. For example, “by raising this section of road, the route between State Highway # and CMC # will be safer to travel and available twelve months a year instead of washing out every spring.”

If your township has already submitted an application, you are able to work with your county to modify the application. You do not need to submit a new application.

Over the next four weeks, you may receive an e-mail or call from staff at UGPTI if your project does not meet project criteria. You will have a chance to revise your application based on that feedback.

FYI - this program isn’t intended to gravel all the roads in the township. On the NDDOT link above, please note the information at the bottom of the web page:

Fillable PDF application (to be shared with the county for their use in submitting the application through GRIT)

Instructions on applying through GRIT

Video instruction on applying through GRIT

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

For technical assistance, please call Kenneth Steiner at 701-318-6320 or email kenneth.steiner@ndsu.edu.