Minimum commencement date for certain trunk highway construction work established.

A bill for an act

relating to transportation; establishing a minimum commencement date for certain

trunk highway construction work; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section

161.32, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 161.32, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Advertisement for bids.

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(a)
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The commissioner may conduct the work

or any part of the work incidental to the construction and maintenance of the trunk highways

by labor employed to do the work or by contract.

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(b)
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In cases of construction work, the commissioner
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shall
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must
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first advertise for bids

for contracts, and if no satisfactory bids are received, may either reject all bids and

readvertise, or do the work by labor employed to do the work. Except as provided in

subdivision 3 or 4, when work is to be done under contract, the commissioner
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shall
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must
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advertise for bids once each week for three successive weeks prior to the date the bids are

to be received.
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Except as provided in subdivision 3 or 4, for a construction project, the

commissioner must establish a date to commence construction work that is at least 180 days

after the date of a contract award.
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The advertisement for bids must be published on the

Internet. The plans and specifications for the proposed work must be on file in the

commissioner's office prior to the first call for bids.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for bids first advertised on or after October

1, 2026.

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