US 85 – I-94 to Watford City Bypass

Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD)

• FEIS/ROD
• Appendices A-C
• Appendices D-E
• Appendices F
• DEIS Public And Agency Involvement Report
• Technical Documents Appended by Reference to the FEIS/ROD are available upon request. Note that sensitive and/or confidential information will be redacted prior to release. Submit requests for technical documents to:
  • Matt Linneman
    NDDOT – US 85 Project Manager
    300 Airport Road
    Bismarck, ND 58504-6005
    Phone: 701-328-6904
    Email: mlinneman@nd.gov

• The FEIS/ROD is also available for viewing at the following locations until May 1, 2019.
• Belfield City Hall, 208 Main Street North, Belfield, ND, (701) 575-4235
• Billings County Courthouse, Auditor’s Office, 495 4th Street, Medora, ND, (701) 623-4491
• Dickinson Area Public Library, 139 West 3rd Street, Dickinson, ND, (701) 456-7700
• McKenzie County Courthouse, 201 5th Street Northwest, Watford City, ND, (701) 444-3616
• McKenzie County Public Library, 112 2nd Avenue Northeast, Watford City, ND, (701) 444-3785
• North Dakota State Library, 604 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND, (701) 328-4622
• NDDOT Project Website: https://www.dot.nd.gov/projects/williston/US85I94/
• NDDOT Central Office, 608 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND, (701) 328-2500
• NDDOT Dickinson District Office, 1700 3rd Avenue West, Dickinson, ND, (701) 227-6500
• NDDOT Williston District Office, 605 Dakota Parkway West, Williston, ND, (701) 774-2700
• Watford City City Hall, 213 2nd Street Northeast, Watford City, ND, (701) 444-2533

Project Description

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.

Environmental Process

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:

• Councils on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing NEPA
• Section 6002 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act-Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)
• FHWA Technical Advisory for Preparing and Processing Environmental and Section 4(f) Documents

Documentation associated with the EIS is as follows:

• Notice of Intent
• Notice of Availability
• DEIS for the US Highway 85 Project
• DEIS Appendices A through C
• DEIS Appendices D and E

Public Involvement Materials

• Public Scoping Meeting Presentation - November 2015
• Public Scoping Meeting Handout - November 2015
• Alternatives Public Workshop Presentation - July 2016
• Alternatives Public Workshop Handout - July 2016
• Alternatives Public Workshop Exhibits- July 2016
• Fairfield Stakeholder Meeting Presentation - December 2016
• Fairfield Stakeholder Meeting Handout - December 2016
• Stakeholder Group Meeting #1 Presentation - February 2017
• Stakeholder Group Meeting #2 Story Map Contents - October 2017
• Public Hearing Presentation - May 2018
• Public Hearing Handout - May 2018
• Public Hearing Exhibits -May 2018
• Public Hearing Story Map - May 2018

Project Location Map

(for a printable map click on image below)

Project Milestones

(click image for larger version)