Work continues to make US Highway 85 four-lane from Watford City to Williston.
State Transportation Director Grant Levi said for the most part, that project is going well. That is, except for the Long-X Bridge reconstruction.
"Unfortunately, that isn't going so well," Levi said.
The Long-X Bridge crosses the Little Missouri River near the entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s North unit. It’s a narrow, and height-restricted, two-lane bridge. And it had been closed a number of times from trucks doing damage to its overhead girders. The bridge is also deemed "historic."
Levi said there are different options – including widening the bridge, building a companion two-lane bridge, or building a new four lane span. But he said it has run into permitting problems.
"We need another easement just from the park, no matter what we do," Levi said.
Levi said several federal agencies have gotten involved, because of environmental concerns. But he made this pledge to the interim Legislative Transportation Committee.
"We will do the right thing to protect the environment, period," Levi said. "It's the process that's the problem for us."
The overall goal is to make US 85 four lane from Williston to Belfield. Levi said DOT is working on the environmental impact statement and getting permits for the second part of that project, from Watford City to Belfield.
"Our goal is to have approval of that environmental document by the fall of 2017," Levi said. "There are significant challenges in getting there."
