North Dakota’s relatively mild and dry winter allowed construction crews to begin pipe installation on the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP) earlier than previous years. The early start comes on the heels of the 2024 construction season which saw the most pipe installed to date.  

Carstensen Contracting Inc. was back in the field by mid-April to continue construction of Contract 5D which includes 10 miles of pipeline and a trenchless crossing of Pipestem Creek in western Foster County and eastern Wells County. Carstensen will also begin Contract 6A this year. That contract includes the installation of a 7.1-mile transmission pipeline from the James River to Eastman Township in Foster County.

Garney Construction will work on land restoration, structure build out, hydrostatic testing, and soil haul off for Contract 5B, east of Carrington. Oscar Renda Contracting will continue working on Contract 5C this year, which includes approximately eight miles of pipeline and two major trenchless crossings east of Carrington, in Foster County.

When the RRVWSP transmission pipeline is complete, it will span from the McClusky Canal to the discharge structure, which empties into the Sheyenne River, located about six miles south of Cooperstown. The RRVWSP is projected to serve nearly half of North Dakota’s population, from the central part of the state to the eastern side of the state.

To date, 19 miles of the 125-mile buried pipeline are installed.