New Bypass For Williston -- Truck Reliever Route -- $85 Million Project -- Heart of the Bakken -- North Dakota, USA

Link here (regional links break early and break often).

The proposed, four-lane Truck Reliever Route would begin north of Williston along U.S. Highway 2 at the Springbrook turnoff. It would end west of Williston near what is called the Four Mile Corner.

Rolfstad said SRF Consulting Group out of Fargo, which produced the city's comprehensive land use and transportation plan as well as a recent annexation study, will be working on the planning of the route.

Data-points:

• Fast-track
• Cost estimate: $85 million
• Construction could begin as early as spring, 2013

Route:The proposed, four-lane Truck Reliever Route would begin north of Williston along U.S. Highway 2 at the Springbrook turnoff. It would end west of Williston near what is called the Four Mile Corner.

Flashback:

I was probably about 10 years old, maybe a bit older, when they put in the current bypass around Williston. Even at that age (so, maybe I was 14), I was aware of a significant number of Willistonites who were opposed to the bypass, saying that tourists bypassing Williston would kill the town.

If the current bypass did not now exist, the truck traffic would have destroyed the town.

It often takes vision to do the right thing, and then tenacity to see it get done.

I hazard to think how Williston would be doing without the current bypass. I understand Ray had the opportunity to run US-2 around the city but made a conscious decision to not do so.