Fargo begins awarding flood cleanup contracts
By DeAnne Hilgers
The Forum
The city of Fargo awarded contracts to four contractors Tuesday to reopen roads, remove levees and return the city to normal condition.

The bids were awarded by time and materials, so exact costs will be determined after the work is finished. City Engineer Mark Bittner estimates it will cost $500,000 to clean up the dirt mess that protected Fargo from its worst flood.

Contractors are expected to start Thursday and finish within a week to 10 days.

The Second Street dike will not be removed until the Red River drops below 30 feet, expected about May 9 or 10.

Master Construction will tear down the largest dike, along 40th Avenue South, three small dikes on 25th Street along Rose Coulee and another dike at 52nd Avenue and 25th Street South.

Border States Paving was awarded the contract to remove dikes north of Eighth Avenue North, including the contingency dike along Woodland Drive and dikes on both sides of the El Zagal bowl along Elm Street, down Oak Street and the Elm Street cul-de-sac.

Industrial Builders will remove the two dikes in front of City Hall, on Second Street south of Main Avenue and a small one on Lindenwood Drive. In addition to tearing dikes down, Industrial Builders will raise roads such as 36th Street west of Interstate 29 and raise low-lying areas along 45th Street and 32nd Avenue South.

Dakota Underground will be responsible for turning some temporary, emergency dikes into levees the city hopes to make permanent, including one in the Rosewood neighborhood south of 40th Avenue South and west of University Drive and another across University on the south boulevard of 40th Avenue.

The dikes at Greenfields and south of Timberline and Fox Run also are on the list. The Timberline dike was 3 feet high initially but much of it washed away during the flood, said Public Works Director Pat Zavoral. It was constructed under emergency circumstances and wasn’t of the quality the city would like to have there, he said.

The city will award bids today to remove sandbags from neighborhoods. Residents are reminded that the bags must be on the paved public street. Contractors will not go on private property or the grass boulevard to collect them.

In other flood-related news:

E The Volunteer Center seeks service clubs, organizations, businesses and church groups to adopt a neighborhood for cleanup. Operations will start Thursday in the southwest area of Fargo and city buses will provide transportation. Volunteers may park at Civic Memorial Auditorium, Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau, Interstate Business College, Hope Lutheran South, First Assembly of God and Gethsemane Episcopal churches.

Cleanup will begin along the river May 8 and city buses again will provide transportation. Volunteers may park at Civic Memorial Auditorium. Additional sites will be announced next week.

Tentative hours for the Volunteer Center are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through May 7 and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 8-10.

E Old Broadway will host a flood relief party on Saturday. Two bands, Wallace Hartley & The Titanics and Planet Purple will perform beginning at 8 p.m. All proceeds from the $4 cover charge will go to the American Red Cross.