01.31.25

Hoeven: Army Corps Issues More than $10 Million Contract to Complete Southern Embankment

Corps Issues Last Major Contract to Finish Federal Portion of Fargo-Moorhead Region’s Flood Protection Project

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a more than $10 million contract to construct Reach SE-5, the last of 7 reaches required to complete the 21-mile long Southern Embankment.

  • This reach, which is located in Minnesota, will include reconstructing portions of 180th Avenue, its intersection with Highway 75 and the Wolverton Creek crossing.
  • The funding is made available under the $437 million Army Corps’ award that Hoeven secured in 2022.
  • This comes as the last major Corps contract being awarded for the Fargo-Moorhead region’s flood protection project, marking a major milestone as the federal portion of the project nears completion.

“Awarding this final contract to complete the Southern Embankment is achieving a major milestone in protecting the entire Fargo-Moorhead region against the threat of flooding,” said Hoeven. “Numerous efforts have to be tied together in order to make this permanent flood protection a reality. That’s why it was critical that we not only secure full federal funding now to provide certainty over the long-term, but also advance this as the Corps’ first major P3 project. This approach, which is serving as model for Army Corps projects across the country, provided the flexibility needed to build the various aspects of the project concurrently.”

Today’s milestone 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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