Minot, ND – As part of the ongoing Mouse River Flood Protection plan, Minot Public Works has been actively advancing efforts to safeguard the city from future flooding. The current focus is on the MI-6 and MI-7 phases of the project, which are crucial to the city’s long-term flood control strategy.
The MI-6 phase, which stretches from downtown Minot to under the 3rd Street bridge, and the MI-7 phase, consisting of a series of levies through Roosevelt Park, are two key components of the plan. This effort, which was initiated in 2011, aims to provide comprehensive flood protection for the city, which was severely impacted by a devastating flood in 2011.
However, the progress of these projects has been met with challenges, particularly due to rising construction and material costs. Jason Sorenson, the utilities director for Minot, explained that the initial bids for both MI-6 and MI-7 were based on estimates formulated before the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, and inflation. As a result, the first round of bidding came in well above the initial project budgets—MI-6 was 50% over budget, while MI-7 exceeded its budget by around 30%.
Despite these challenges, Sorenson remained optimistic. “When we rebid MI-7 in August, the price came down by $11 million, which led us to believe that rebidding was a good strategy,” he said. After rejecting the original bids, the city also rebid MI-6, and while the new bids were still higher than the original estimates, the difference was smaller—only about $1.5 million more than anticipated.
Looking to the future, Minot’s flood protection efforts are set to continue with the MI-8 and MI-9 phases. However, Sorenson emphasized that bidding for these projects would not take place until the design phase is completed and funding is secured from the state legislature. He anticipates that design work for these phases will be finished by 2025, with construction expected to begin soon after, with project completion targeted for late 2026.
“The completion of these flood protection phases is critical for the safety of Minot’s residents,” Sorenson said. “Until the full system is in place, those who were affected by the 2011 flood still face a certain level of risk.”
As the city moves forward with these crucial flood control efforts, it is clear that the work is far from over, but progress continues to be made. With the successful rebidding of MI-6 and MI-7, and the upcoming phases on the horizon, Minot is working tirelessly to ensure that its residents are protected from future flood risks.
