Grand Forks City Council Favors a Merrifield Corridor Bridge

(KNOX) – The Grand Forks Committee of the Whole approved applying for a grant to study another bridge over the Red River in the Merrifield Corridor into Polk County.

Committee Member Ken Vein is opposed to the Merrifield Bridge.

“The bridge is outside the city limits. I mean, it’s really between county to county,” Vein said.

The growth of the City of Grand Forks is moving in a southward direction toward the site of the proposed bridge.  Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland explained how that area will become part of the city by the time the bridge is finished.

“It is in our metropolitan area. The reason why the city supports that is eventually that area will be within the City of Grand Forks. It’s important to have that Merrifield Corridor complete by the time our development gets there,” Feland said.

At the January meeting Grand Forks City Council approved an engineering amendment to apply for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant and directed the funds to support a Merrifield Bridge.