North Dakota Century Code Title 24. Highways, Bridges, and Ferries § 24-08-03. Bridges--Supervision, repairs, bids, signs--Liability

1. Each bridge built under the provisions of section 24-08-01 is under the supervision of the board of county commissioners, and the county shall pay the cost of rebuilding or repairing these bridges.

2. If the cost of rebuilding or repairing a bridge would exceed two hundred thousand dollars on estimate of the county engineer and upon the approval of the estimate by the department, the county commissioners shall advertise for bids and award the contract pursuant to section 24-08-01. For any contract for a bridge improvement that exceeds fifty thousand dollars but does not exceed two hundred thousand dollars, the county, when possible, shall seek quotes from at least two contractors. If a bridge is destroyed by a flood, fire, or other casualty and the public interest would suffer by the delay from advertising for bids and awaiting the contract pursuant to section 24-08-01, the county commissioners may promptly contract for the rebuilding or repair of the bridge without advertising for bids, regardless of the cost.

3. The board of county commissioners at least every four years, and so far as time and conditions may permit, shall cause an inspection to be made of all bridges on the county road system in the county.

4. If any bridge on the county road system is deemed unsafe for public use by the board of commissioners, it immediately shall take steps to close the bridge and prevent its use by the public.

5. If any bridge on the county road system is deemed unsafe for loads in excess of a certain weight, the board of commissioners shall post, by January 1, 1985, load limit signs which must comply with the standards for uniform traffic control devices prescribed by the director under section 39-13-07.

6. The county is not immune from claims or suits for damages arising out of negligent failure to perform the inspection, signing, and repair duties required by this section.