Stutsman County Commission Approves Grade-Raise on County Road 68 near School Lake

The Stutsman County Commission voted 3-0 at its March 3, 2026 meeting to approve a grade-raise project for a portion of County Road 68 in the area where School Lake is located, with Commissioners Levi Taylor and Amanda Hastings not present. The action authorizes the county to move forward on a raised road profile intended to address repeated low-water problems at the site.

Stutsman County Highway Superintendent Jesse Christianson said the existing alignment is narrow and difficult for drivers. “This is basically a one‑lane road,” Christianson said. “It’s hard to navigate. We are kind of running out of room to do what we need to do with it.” He said the grade raise “will be about 2 ½ feet at the location.”

Interstate Engineering produced a preliminary estimate exceeding $2.2 million for the work, Christianson said, though he cautioned that “when it goes out to bid, that could vary.” County officials told the commission the county will pay for the project after the county’s application for the state Flexible Transportation Fund Program, also known as the Flex Fund, was not approved.

Procurement and engineering work were already initiated in late 2025. A December 9, 2025 request for proposals instructed firms to deliver proposals to Stutsman County Highway Department, 1508 4th St NW, Jamestown, ND 58401, by 12:00 PM on December 30, 2025. The RFP packages six projects under a single contract and states, “Stutsman County intends to execute one contract for six (6) projects. Stutsman County reserves the right to assign work in phases and have the firm that is selected, perform any additional work not currently assigned.”

The RFP lists the projects with CERP and PCN identifiers: CERP‑4711(055) PCN 24633; CERP‑4707(061) PCN 24635; CERP‑4717(106) PCN 24640; CERP‑4717(064) PCN 24642; CERP‑4717(108) PCN 24644; and CERP‑4717(110) PCN 24646, each described with grade raise, widening clear zones, repair inslopes, riprap, and incidentals. The RFP also notes for PCN #24633, “The current roadway was repaired last fall by County forces in order to keep it open to the traveling public. This roadway is in an isolated basin and has been underwater in the past.”

County records show grade-raise work is not new to the commission. Stutsman County minutes from September 3, 2019 state, “Quotes for a possible grade raise were reviewed. Schwartz made a motion, seconded by Ova, to approve the low bid from RTS Shearing LLC for $42,900.00. The County would do the graveling and rocking for the project. Motion carried.”

Key details remain to be finalized: the commission approved the project scope but did not publish specific mileposts for the County Road 68 limits at School Lake, no construction contract has been announced, and the schedule for design, bidding, and construction was not set at the March 3 meeting. County engineers and the highway department will need to provide the mapping of PCN numbers to the local road name, the engineering estimate package from Interstate Engineering, and a bid and construction timeline before work begins.