The snow is still deep in North Dakota, but officials from its
17 oil and gas producing counties are preparing for a race against
the clock planning for summer work on the area’s strained
roads.

“We could easily lose a whole construction season if this money
isn’t freed up before the first of July,” said Ron Anderson, a
McKenzie County commissioner, at a meeting to develop plans to
divvy up $142 million allocated to the counties in the governor’s
budget. “If we lose the whole 2011 season, that would be
tragic.”

The meeting was facilitated by the state Department of
Transportation with discussion driven by the county representatives
and their experiences managing truck traffic from oil
development.

“I’ve learned to call us the guinea pig county when it comes to
groups like this,” said David Hynek, a commissioner from Mountrail
County, which has been the epicenter of the oil boom. He said
people in his county were not prepared for the intensity of
drilling’s impact on the county, and he hoped the areas where
activity will escalate next will be better prepared.

“I hope the oil industry has learned from us before they move on
to other counties,” he said.

County officials discussed truck counts, weight limits, road
surface materials, highway approaches, right-of-way permits and
other parts of infrastructure maintenance. They are counting on the
money to pay for their work —  the funding still has to be approved
by the Senate — but they need to plan now before they lose more
time.

“The main goal of the meeting today is to try to figure out a
process,” said Billings County Commissioner Jim Arthaud. “We know
the oil play is going to be here for 30 years and we don’t want it
to be haphazard.”

The money allocated in the budget and the support it has
received so far in the House of Representatives show a recognition
of the infrastructure

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