The Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning road construction in the Rugby area this year, and a segment of it is tentatively scheduled to be in the city of Rugby along N.D. Highway 3.

The work includes an overlay from the junction of U.S. 2 and north to 4th St. S.W. as well as milling and overlay of asphalt sections from 4th St. S.W. north to the city limits, with some possible subcuts and replacement of concrete panels at the base of the underpass. The estimated cost of the repairs to the highway portion in the city was just over $560,000, with the city contributing $56,000, or 10 percent.

DOT officials were surveying sections of the highway earlier this month. The project in Rugby is tied to repairs along N.D. Highway 3 from Rugby north to the junction of N.D. 66 (the Rolette turn). That 22-mile project was initially planned for 2010, but was one of a few DOT projects moved up for completion this year as a result of additional federal highway dollars through the stimulus package.

Also planned is concrete maintenance on a nine-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 2 in the eastbound lanes from Rugby to Berwick.

Bids were recently let on the project, according to Greg Semenko, assistant DOT engineer for the Devils Lake district.

No date has been set with the project will begin, but traffic will be reduced to one lane in the project zone.