Bemidji Seeks Bids for TH-197 Light Pole Replacement Project by March 26

The City of Bemidji Public Works Department has advertised a solicitation titled "Bemidji TH 197 Light Pole Replacement" on Minnesotabids, with the posting marked Added/Updated: 02/27/26 and bids due March 26. Sam Anderson, P.E., City Engineer and Director of Public Works, is the named city official linked to the procurement notice.

The Minnesotabids solicitation lists the project scope in specific terms: “Project involves removal and disposal of 67 existing luminaire/light pole assemblies and installation of 73 new units. Contractor shall maintain existing concrete foundation and circuitry for connection to new light poles. Repair any existing anchor bolts and provide epoxy anchor repair as needed. Contractor shall contact local utility for installation of new services for new feed points. Utility installation costs shall be covered by electrical contractor.” Those provisions assign immediate installation and utility hookup costs to the electrical contractor while preserving reuse of foundations and existing circuitry where feasible.

The light pole procurement ties into larger TH‑197 corridor reconstruction planning that the City and MnDOT have been coordinating. City documents state the corridor reconstruction from Gillette Drive to Hannah Avenue is federally funded with an $18 million RAISE grant, with a City share of $3.6 million. The City page also notes a “Possible design for the replacement of current decorative TH 197 light poles with new standard light poles using MnDOT LPP grant funding.”

MnDOT’s project outline describes multi-year corridor work and public outreach: between MnDOT and the City of Bemidji, six roundabouts are planned for construction between 2025 and 2027, with improved pedestrian facilities including a 10-foot multi-use trail on both sides of the highway and upgraded corridor lighting. MnDOT’s phased construction schedule lists Phase one from Gillette Drive Northwest to the Hwy 71 intersection scheduled for 2026, Phase two at Middle School Drive scheduled for 2027, and Phase three near Hannah Avenue to follow. MnDOT also advertised a public open house “Thursday, Oct. 23, at the MnDOT Bemidji Headquarters, 3920 Hwy 2 West,” with session times 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Funding and long-term responsibility remain points of policy discussion. Bemidji Pioneer reported that “MnDOT officials confirmed the RAISE grant can be used to purchase and install new light poles, though the city is responsible for long-term maintenance.” Pioneer coverage by TJ Rhodes also recorded split preferences among councilors over pole style — some favored specialized poles capable of hoisting banners and providing electrical outlets while others supported standard poles — and noted, “This will ultimately be a council decision.”

The posted solicitation excerpt does not include a bid submission address, bid opening time, or an award schedule in the captured text, and the procurement does not specify a pole model or decorative versus standard finish. The Minnesotabids posting and the City and MnDOT timelines together place the procurement action in late February 2026 with a March 26 bid deadline; MnDOT has said its portion of corridor construction will resume in 2026 if the paused RAISE grant is reinstated by the end of 2025, and Pioneer reporting notes that MnDOT would not proceed without alternative funding if the grant is not restored.

Bemidji staff files list multiple concurrent capital projects that intersect with right-of-way and utility coordination, including a 5th Street NW trail planned for 2026 federal funding, a College/BSU lift station replacement design, an MPCA-funded $50,000 Climate Resiliency plan, and an EPA-funded $4.4 million Plant Final Clarifier project. Bids for the TH‑197 light pole package are due March 26 and will shape which poles are installed ahead of MnDOT’s planned corridor work.