About The Project
The US Highway 85 project encompasses approximately 62 miles of roadway in Stark, Billings, and McKenzie counties. The project begins at the Interstate 94 (I-94) interchange and extends north to the Watford City Bypass (McKenzie County Road 30). The project includes expanding US 85 from a two-lane highway to a four-lane highway utilizing the existing US 85 alignment.
This project specifically will widen the road from the intersection with North Dakota Highway 200 north to RP 120.3, approximately eight miles north of Grassy Butte in McKenzie County.
Current Status
The project is in the final engineering design phase. Right-of-way acquisition is ongoing, and utility relocations will begin in 2025. The project is anticipated to be bid in the fall of 2025, with construction planned for 2026 and 2027. The estimated construction cost is $79 million.
Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision
A Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD) was completed in February 2019 that analyzed different alternatives and feasibility of construction of widening the highway in this area. The FEIS/ROD documented the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) decision on the US 85 Project, whose goal was to maintain and follow the existing US 85 alignment, utilizing the existing infrastructure to minimize potential impacts on environmental, socioeconomic, and human-made resources, to the maximum extent practicable. This document is available for viewing at: www.dot.nd.gov/highway85
Contacts
Troy Ripplinger, PE
Consultant Project Manager
Apex Engineering Group
600 South 2nd Street – Suite 145
Bismarck, North Dakota 58504
troy.ripplinger@ApexEngGroup.com
Garrett Hartl
NDDOT Design Division
608 E. Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58505
ghartl@nd.gov
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