Improvements Ahead as U.S. Highway 85 Projects Kick Off
Travis Bateman
Farmer Staff Writer
Commuters will want to take notice when traveling south of Watford City for travel plans and timing as two construction projects officially kicked off March 30.
Reduced speeds, construction activity, flaggers, lane reductions, and width restrictions are all present between the Little Missouri River and junction of North Dakota Highway 200 (ND200), near Grassy Butte with two projects geared at improving travel and safety, widening the road to four lanes, and making way for what driving on U.S. Highway 85 (US85) demands in today’s world.
Project 1 - The South Breaks
The first project encountered when coming from Watford City is a 6.8 mile job that will include an immense amount of dirt work to mitigate several landslide areas, widening of road base, drainage culverts, and making way for two lanes for north and southbound traffic with a flush median of 20 feet and a final posted speed limit of 60-miles per hour.
A third wildlife underpass with applicable fencing will also be included in this project and culminate in the entire stretch of highway through the Little Missouri River Breaks having wildlife fencing and three underpasses to mitigate and reduce wildlife mortality through the area. The first underpass is that of the Long-X bridge while the first true underpass lies south of the intersection with Long-X Road and is heavily used by Bighorn Sheep but also all other wildlife since being installed in 2020. This work is taking place between mileposts 120.4 to 127.2.
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