Title 24, Highways, Bridges, and Ferries

The department of transportation is established as an executive department of this state. Transferred to and vested in the department of transportation are the functions, powers, and duties of the following governmental agencies: 1. The highway department, the highway commissione…

Wherever the terms "motor vehicle department", "registrar of motor vehicles", "highway department", or "highway commissioner", or any derivative of those terms which, when used in context indicates an intention to refer to those persons or departments, shall appear in the North D…

The department of transportation must be managed and directed by the director of the department of transportation, who must be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the governor. The director shall take the oath of office required of civil officers by section 44-01-05. The …

The department of transportation must be structured to promote efficient and effective operations consistent with fulfilling its statutory duties. The department of transportation must be organized into offices, divisions, and districts as the director of the department of transp…

The department of transportation may adopt the administrative rules necessary to carry out its responsibilities and functions as created and transferred by sections 24-02-01.1 through 24-02-01.5. Rules adopted by the agencies whose functions relate to the functions or agencies cr…

The director is authorized to execute an agreement with the federal government for the construction of a bridge over the Oahe Reservoir wherein the department agrees to hold the United States harmless and free from damages due to the construction or operation and maintenance of s…

The director may contract with adjoining states and provinces to provide for the construction, reconstruction, repair, or maintenance of highways located on or near the border of each jurisdiction.

Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 54-40.2, the director may enter agreements with any one or more tribal governments for the purpose of construction and maintenance of highways, streets, roads, and bridges on the state highway system or for federally funded safety improve…

The director may enter an agreement with the metro flood diversion authority regarding the portion of the construction of the Fargo Moorhead metropolitan area flood risk management project which will impact the state highway system. The agreement must address the construction and…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the director may enter a cooperative agreement with the Theodore Roosevelt national park painted canyon visitor center for the joint administration and operation of a rest area facility for use by the traveling public. The director may …

The director may contract with adjoining states and provinces to request or to provide inspection and testing of fabricated products or materials needed for highway construction.

In order to facilitate national defense, the director is hereby authorized to cooperate with the appropriate federal agency, when requested by it, in: 1. Making of surveys, plans, specifications, and estimates for, and in the construction and maintenance of, flight strips and of …

Whenever federally financed construction or maintenance activities are likely to affect any public road within this state, the director is hereby authorized to take such action as may be necessary to protect such public road from any damages that may be caused, and to negotiate w…

1. The director shall establish within the department a central vehicle management system to regulate the operation, maintenance, and management of all motor vehicles owned or leased by the state subject to registration under chapters 39-04 and 39-05. Upon the request of a state …

The title or other documents representing ownership of a motor vehicle owned or leased by the board of higher education and the institutions under its jurisdiction must be transferred to the director on August 1, 1995.

Each entity using the central vehicle management system shall pay a user charge to the director. The user charge will be set by the director and must be based upon the actual cost of the service provided, including depreciation. The user charges and any proceeds from insurance cl…

In addition to the compensation received for their service, employees of the department are entitled to receive their expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties, the amount of the expenses so allowed to be fixed and determined by the director.

1. The director may prequalify, select, and contract for consultants in the area of engineering, land surveying, architecture, traffic safety, business administration, and related matters. The prequalification of the consultant must be based on detailed information regarding firm…

The director may provide consulting engineering services upon request of any governmental unit. The director has the authority and responsibility for the coordination of the total highway, road, and street program within this state, including the designation of systems, which the…

Not later than the fifteenth day of May of each year, each head of a department, division, section, or activity of the department who may be directed and designated to do so by the director shall submit to the director an outline of the work which should be undertaken by such dep…

The director shall submit a biennial report to the governor and the secretary of state in accordance with section 54-06-04.

1. The director is custodian of, and shall preserve, the files and records of the department. The files and records of the department must be open to public inspection under reasonable regulations. However, records relating to the financial condition of any party are not open to …

Payroll vouchers prepared on forms adopted in accordance with section 24-02-34 must be certified and approved by the director and the same must be presented to the office of management and budget which shall prepare and issue a warrant signed by the state auditor for each person …

Whenever any estimate or allowance for payment, except a final estimate or payment subsequent to a final estimate, is allowed, or granted, on a contract entered into by the department, or a deposit is to be made with the clerk of district court in a condemnation proceeding, and t…

The state, and civil government divisions thereof, and any person damaged by any wrongful act or omission of any bonded employee of the department in the performance of the employee's official duties may maintain an action on the employee's bond for the recovery of damages so sus…

The director may request bids and award contracts for construction work requiring the contractor to furnish all equipment, labor, materials, and supplies for each particular contract or project, or requiring the director to furnish and provide the contractor with materials and su…

Whenever the cost of any construction improvement exceeds the sum of twenty thousand dollars, the department shall proceed to advertise the same, request bids, and award such contracts in the manner provided in this chapter. The department may accept bids and bid bonds that are s…

The department may, if in the opinion of the director, the public interest and the preservation of the state highways from deterioration requires it, do the work necessary for minor grading reconstruction on any state highway without letting a contract for such reconstruction wor…

Any request for bids for construction work or the improvement of any state highway, or any structure in excess of the amount specified in section 24-02-17, must be advertised by publication once prior to the opening of such bids, in the official newspaper of the county in which t…

1. All bids must be opened at the time and place specified in the advertised request for bids. The submission of bids and bid openings may be delayed up to twenty-one days at the discretion of the department. The submission of bids and new bid opening dates must be noticed by ele…

Informal bids must be requested and the contract therefor may be awarded upon such basis and procedure as the director directs.

Whenever any highway improvement involves structural work, dirt grading and traffic service gravel, graveling, stabilizing and oiling, or concrete surfacing, or any two or more of them, then wherever practicable and not contrary to any federal law or regulations, separate proposa…

Each and every contract in excess of the sum specified in section 24-02-17 must be awarded by the department to the responsible bidder submitting the lowest and best bid, but said department may reject all bids. If no satisfactory bid or bids are received, new bids may be called …

In the event that any county or municipality participates in and defrays the cost, or part of the cost, of any improvement to be made by the department, the director shall notify the board of county commissioners of the county so interested, or the proper city officials of any mu…

Payment must be made monthly to the contractor for all work done or material furnished, in such amount as must be determined by the director, but in no event less than ninety percent nor more than ninety-nine percent thereof, and payment must be made in full upon the completion o…

Any person who has furnished labor, materials, or supplies on a contract awarded under section 24-02-23, and who has not been paid in full at the time of final acceptance of the project by the department, has the right to file a claim against the contractor and the surety furnish…

Any person who has furnished labor, materials, or supplies and made a claim under section 24-02-25.1 has the right to commence an action to recover the amount of the person's claim against the contractor or surety within one year of the date of the final acceptance of the project…

A controversy arising out of a contract for the construction or repair of a highway entered by the director must be submitted to arbitration under this chapter and chapter 32-29.2. A person that voluntarily enters a contract for the construction or repair of a highway is deemed t…

In addition to the provisions of section 24-02-30, full compliance by a contractor with the provisions of this section is a condition precedent to the contractor's right to demand arbitration. If the contractor believes the contractor is entitled to additional compensation for wo…

1. Unless a party submits the dispute to the American arbitration association, the arbitrators must be selected in accordance with this section. The party desiring arbitration of claims for more than one hundred thousand dollars shall serve a written demand upon the adverse party…

After a board of arbitration has been appointed, a submission in writing must be executed as provided in section 32-29.3-06, but the submission must provide for the entry of judgment upon the award by the district court of the county in which the improvement, or some part thereof…

If either party refuses to submit to arbitration as provided in this chapter, that party must be deemed to have waived all claims and demands, and the arbitrators shall proceed to determine the controversies set forth by the moving party according to the justice of the case. Judg…

No right exists to demand arbitration against the director until the conditions specified in this section have been complied with. The contractor shall give the director notice in writing that the contractor claims the contract has been or will be performed fully on a day stated,…

The arbitrators shall determine all controversies between the parties growing out of the contract, including the question whether it had been performed at the time claimed by the contractor and whether the additional work required by the director as specified has been done, and i…

If after the making of an award which requires the contractor to do further work, any controversies arise between the parties as to the doing of such work, the controversies may be submitted to the same arbitrators on five days' notice for further determination.

When judgment has been entered against the director, the same is not collectible or enforceable by execution, but if the same provides for the payment of money by the director, it must be paid in the same manner, to the same extent, and out of the same funds as though the claims …

The director may prepare, adopt, or amend uniform standard forms of contracts, bonds, estimates and other forms and documents deemed essential for the efficient administration of highway matters within the department.

The department may sell road materials in small quantities on an occasional basis to local governmental units, when the local governmental units are unable to economically procure those quantities of road materials from the private sector.

The proceeds from any sale of road materials made under section 24-02-35.1 must be deposited in the department of transportation fund. An amount not to exceed the total sum of the sales under section 24-02-35.1, but not to exceed one million dollars a year, may be withdrawn upon …

Except as provided in section 24-01-48, no state funds may be expended for feeder roads or other roads not on the state highway system except for the necessary administrative costs and for such work as is reimbursable from federal or county funds or from funds of other organizati…