The Safe Routes to School Projects program offered by the North Dakota Department of Transportation received a lot of interest from communities across the state, but limited funding meant only a few could be chosen.

There were 48 applications for the program, reported NDDOT's Paul Benning at Tuesday's Metropolitan Planning Organization policy board meeting.

"We saw about the same ratio of applications to awarded projects as we see with the Transportation Enhancement program," Benning said.

Fourteen projects totaling nearly $1 million were picked by the NDDOT's six-member director's task force. Of the six applications sent in by Bismarck, two were approved.

Bismarck received $22,896 for the Myhre Elementary School facilities and transportation sidewalk, which finished fifth in the task force's ranking. And the Ash Coulee Drive Trail project, ranking 10th, will get $104,000. There is a 20 percent local match required for the projects.

Local governments are asked to begin project development immediately, with plans to have them constructed by the end of the 2008 construction season.

In other activity, the MPO policy board:

3 Heard that URS had begun data collection on the 71st Avenue/Centennial Road corridor.

Video of traffic at the intersections of U.S. 83 and 71st Avenue and at the Interstate-94 and Centennial Road interchange are being collected this week, according to project manager Bill Troe.

The captured images will be used to compare truck traffic entering and leaving the corridor. Collection of the video will be completed next week and by next month the MPO will be provided with some information on the truck travel pattern within the corridor.

3 Heard that a selection team has chosen Ulteig Engineers, Inc. for the Regional Beltway study. The policy board approved MPO director Steve Saunders' request that the negotiating team work with Ulteig to scope out a work plan.

3 Heard from Bismarck city engineer Mel Bullinger that the Bismarck Washington Street reconstruction project is about 50 percent complete.

3 Heard that the Bismarck Century Avenue reconstruction project is showing progress on the Hay Creek structure, according to Bullinger. Industrial Builders is currently setting bridge beams and soon will be putting in the deck framing and begin pouring concrete. Paving of Centennial on either side of the bridge is nearly complete.

The road is expected to reopen later this fall. There will be miscellaneous work to be completed next spring.

3 Heard from Bismarck Mayor John Warford that the Bobcat Spur at the Northern Plains Commerce Centre should be completed by Aug. 10. Bids for the rest of the track will be received Tuesday.

When the spur is complete the city will be looking at incorporating a portable loading dock and also construction of a building that will house offices and the reach stacker, which will be used for loading and unloading of containers.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)