The Center Street underpass will close Wednesday, June 22 through Friday, June 24, for ongoing work that is a part of a regional sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. Access to businesses in the area will remain open, but alternate routes and access points may be set up during the closure. Regional traffic will detour to 9th Street NE, east of the closure, or 9th St NW, west of the closure, while the underpass is closed. Drivers should always use the ‘S’ check when traveling in and around construction areas by checking their speed, space and stress.
This project is the highest priority among active projects on the City’s capital improvement plan. The majority of wastewater throughout the City flows through this system. It is critical for the City to reduce the risk of system failure and improve the system’s ability for collection and conveyance to the City of Fargo. This will be an ongoing need as the system experiences increased demands due to the City’s continued growth through infill and expansion.
Special assessment funding will not be used for this project. Instead, the project’s funding comes from the City of West Fargo’s capital improvement sales tax fund and sewer utility rates. These rates cover the full operation of the sewer utilities, including future repair and rehabilitation projects.
This funding plan follows the West Fargo City Commission’s guiding principles for financial policy on city infrastructure and buildings, which calls for the responsible use of capital improvement sales tax funds to reduce the use of special assessments. This is part of the City’s ongoing efforts to allocate assessments equitably and reduce the use of special assessments through strategic financing, planning and policy development.