Bids to create nine miles of four lanes on U.S. Highway 53 have been delayed a second time.

The nine miles from Rice River to the south limits of the city of Cook are included in a plan that started in 1999 when the Highway 53 Long Range Improvement Task Force began to push north with additional miles of four lane from Virginia toward International Falls as well as other safety improvements on the highway.

Federal and state funding has been used for the ongoing project.

Bids for the nine miles of four lane were to be opened in September. However, the state government shutdown in July and additional time needed to complete the design plans pushed the bid opening back to this month.

Now, said Bob Anderson, chairman of the task force, bid opening on the project has been again pushed back to May 18 because of the wetland permitting process.

Anderson reported that staff with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said a wetland delineation report, needed in the permitting process, was not submitted in time for a field review prior to winter.

“The DOT has been so good about making sure they were on top of everything they needed to be,” said Anderson. “Then to have to hold up the bid opening because the corps wants to walk the site is frustrating.”

Army Corps staff have said they’re not sure of the amount of land delineated, so they want to check it all out, said Anderson.

“It’s frustrating that we got another delay,” said Anderson. “The contractor to receive the bid could be doing clearing and grubbing and getting the site ready now.”

Despite the delay, Anderson said the project completion date may not be pushed back at this point.

“They can still have it done by the end of 2013, even with the May bid letting,” he said. “But it could, possibly, depending on the weather, delay it enough to make it go into another construction season.”

Communication about the delay with fellow task force members may prompt a meeting, said Anderson.

“They, too, are feeling frustration and we were contemplating whether there’s anything we can do, in the way of calling on our federal elected officials,” he said. “We may have a task force meeting and see what we can accomplish, though we have little leverage as a task force.”

Anderson said another factor to consider is that money designated for the project could be reallocated to another project elsewhere.

“You just never know when someone else will take the money,” he said.

Highway improvements

Since 1999, several changes to the highway have occurred in an effort to make it safer:

• An interchange which folds Minnesota Highway 169 into U.S. Highway 53, and three miles of four lane.

• 10 miles of four lane from the interchange to Rice River.

• A new pass through of Cook.

• A stop light at Orr.

• Several turn lanes.

• A street light at County Road 23 at the Dam Supper Club where a number of fatal car crashes have occurred.