Widening the Highway South of Williston -- Heart of the Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Remember the post on widening of the US 85 south of Williston on the way to Alexander? At that time, there was no activity just across the river, north of Indian Hill. Tonight, we took a drive south of Williston, turning south at the Four-Mile Corner and crossing the Missouri River.

This is what it looks like as of September 17, 2011:

Immediately south of the bridge, work has begun to put in passing lanes on both sides all the way to the top of Indian Hill where work had already begun when we traveled there a couple weeks ago. It is amazing how fast these guys can move. The top soil has been removed on both sides of the road from the bridge all the way to the top of Indian Hill. Going up Indian Hill, traveling south, the road will actually be five lanes across: two lanes downhill and three lanes uphill.

The chokepoint appears to be the bridge itself. It's a nice wide 2-lane bridge, but that's it: a two-lane bridge, and it's relatively new. The road on both sides of the bridge will be 4-lane (or purists will say, two lanes with passing lanes on both sides).