The Riverwood Drive and Mills Avenue corridor is the main access to residential areas along the Missouri River in southwest Bismarck, ND. During the 2011 Missouri River flood event, this corridor was used as the main line of defense to fight the flood. Apex Engineering Group led the planning, design, and construction effort for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the corridor that included permanent flood protection measures such as grade raises, flood walls and control gates.

The first phase of improvements included development of a Detailed Damage Inspection Report of the corridor to assess the damage incurred by the placement and removal of the flood protection measures on top of the roadway. This process followed the North Dakota Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Emergency Relief Project procedures.

Segments of this two and a half mile corridor were rehabilitated with patching and a mill and overlay; while other segments were reconstructed so the roadway was raised to an elevation to better protect against flooding of the Missouri River. Coordination was a key element in developing alternatives because many agencies were working in this area to complete an overall protection plan, or have projects that require unique funding standards. These agencies include Burleigh County, Burleigh County Water Resource Board, NDDOT, FHWA, and the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services. The environmental process included the Section 6(f) process as the project impacted the Bismarck Parks and Recreation Department’s Riverwood Golf Course.

Additional phases included the final design, plan preparation and development of bid documents, and construction administration.