The US Highway 85 Project (project) encompasses approximately 62 miles of roadway in Stark, Billings, and McKenzie counties, North Dakota. The project begins at the Interstate 94 (I-94) interchange and extends north to the Watford City Bypass (McKenzie County Road 30). The proposed action is to expand this segment of US Highway 85 from a two-lane highway to a four-lane highway with flexible design options to avoid or minimize impacts and rehabilitate or replace the historic Long X Bridge over the Little Missouri River. The goal of the project is to essentially maintain and follow the existing US Highway 85 alignment, utilizing the existing infrastructure to minimize potential impacts on environmental, socioeconomic, and human-made resources, to the maximum extent practicable.
The project is being led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT). The FHWA and NDDOT are functioning as joint lead agencies and are the primary entities responsible for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In addition, the proposed project has three cooperating agencies: the National Park Service (NPS), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and US Forest Service (USFS).
The NDDOT and FHWA are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate alternatives and impacts associated with the proposed project. The EIS is being developed following the procedures set forth by:
A Stakeholder Group has been formed to give advice to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) by providing informed and thoughtful input and to act as a liaison to other groups, individuals, business owners and landowners throughout the EIS process. These stakeholders are another resource for questions or input on the project.