05.29.24

Hoeven Announces Nearly $24 Million Army Corps Contract to Construct Fargo Flood Protection, Southern Embankment

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a nearly $24 million contract to PWS, Inc. of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota for further construction of the southern embankment, a critical element of the Fargo-Moorhead region’s comprehensive flood protection project. The funding comes in addition to a similar contract Hoeven announced in March for construction of the southern embankment, and is made available under the $437 million Army Corps’ award that Hoeven secured in 2022.

“The public-private partnership model that we worked to advance on behalf of this comprehensive flood protection project allows multiple, essential aspects of the project to be built simultaneously, as we’re seeing with the series of contracts being awarded this year,” said Hoeven. “The $24 million contract for the southern embankment will help provide certainty to the project developers, keep construction moving forward and help deliver permanent flood protection for the region.”

The contract follows Hoeven’s efforts to:

  • Pass 16 acts of Congress, including:
    • 9 legislative provisions, such as the project authorization in 2014 and a new construction start authorization in 2016.
    • 7 separate appropriations to fund the project’s construction.
  • Fully fund the $750 million federal cost share.
    • Prior to this, Hoeven helped renegotiate the Project Partnership Agreement to increase the federal funding commitment from $450 million.
  • Advance this as the first major Army Corps project to utilize the public-private partnership (P3) split-delivery model and a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan.
  • Coordinate efforts across four federal agencies.
  • Provide funding and flexibility to concurrently raise I-29 and begin excavating the Red River Control Structure to keep the project on schedule.
  • Resolve the easement issue on lands purchased with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding, allowing the project to use an alternative route.

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