CITYWIDE STREET AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS
Larimore, North Dakota
About the Project
The City of Larimore had deferred maintenance on their street and utilities since they were constructed in the 1950s to 1970s. A master plan was developed in the late 1990s to rehabilitate the system over time, but no work was done.
Project Details
Date: 2016 – 2022
Client: City of Larimore
Key Project Elements
- Street Improvements
- Sewer Main
- Street Reconstruction
- Water Main
- Stormwater
- Pedestrian Traffic Improvements
- Creative Phasing
- Funding
- Public Outreach and Education
Addressing Sanitary Sewer, Water Mains, and Drainage Issues
The lack of proactive maintenance began to cause issues with sewer backups. AE2S assisted the City with a citywide televising program that indicated that significant issues were present. In fact, the sanitary sewer was so bad in some locations, the sewer was effectively an underground open channel. Exacerbating matters, AE2S was also able to demonstrate that the City was losing 50% of the water they were treating because of the poor condition of the water mains. Finally, because of the flat topography, the City had several drainage issues, and while these issues were not the City’s top priority, reconstructing the sanitary sewer and water mains provided an opportunity to address nuisance flooding issues.
AE2S Pursued Outside Funding to Offset Overall Price Tag
Recognizing that the deferred maintenance was long overdue, the City embarked on an ambitious plan to completely rebuild their street and utilities in a single project. AE2S led the planning, analysis, and design for the citywide project that culminated in a bid opening in 2018. Despite favorable bids, the City decided to also pursue outside funding to help offset the overall price tag of $13M to $15M.
Over the next two years, AE2S aggressively pursued outside funding sources, and through that work, was able to secure about $4M in grants. Combined with State funding, USDA loans, and special assessments, the City re-bid the project in late 2020. Council approved the low bid in February 2021 for $14.1M. The project is currently under construction and slated for a Fall 2022 completion.