DOT Studying Plans for Bypass Around Dickinson

Note: I actually had one individual complain about the proposed Dickinson bypass The comment was difficult to follow (not unlike some of my posts, perhaps), but what I could glean from it was the fact that the individual was upset that federal dollars might be used for Dickinson roads when the government is already $15 trillion in debt. If federal dollars are used on North Dakota roads, the funds will amount to a rounding error on a line item in the US annual budget. And those funds will be more than matched by local funds. Not to worry. Just as appropriate as Federal payments to North Dakota farmers: very well deserved.  At least the federal government gets something back in return for the money they send BACK to North Dakota. I don't think a whole of unemployment benefit money is being spent in North Dakota.

Original Post

I think this is the link.

The Dickinson Press works hard at making it difficult to access their on-line stories. I don't have that trouble with LA Times, Williston Herald, Bismarck Tribune, or NY Times. But for some reason, The Dickinson Press wants to track those who visit their site, requiring one to log in.

I generally don't have time for such nonsense, so unless the story is really important, I won't take the time to log in. And so my link might be wrong above.

However, with regard to a bypass: note to Dickinson -- it's a no-brainer.

Dickinson is fortunate to have the interstate which will absorb a lot of the traffic, and it's federally funded, for the most part, as far as I know. Williston, Watford City, Minot, Stanley, and Alexander should be so lucky.

Years ago, wow, it must have been 50 years ago when North Dakota put in the bypass which is now a godsend for the city. I remember the fight about the bypass then. I was only about ten years old; don't remember exactly, but certainly pre-teen. I remember riding shotgun with my dad as he sped down the brand new bypass, just recently blacktopped, and ending up going through a wooden barricade. Yeah, that was exciting. It was a new car, too. But he was well insured.

But I digress. At the time, one has to admit there seemed to be little need for a bypass around Williston (at least to the locals) but when one looks at a map, it made all kinds of sense. Wow, are the current residents of Williston lucky to have that bypass now. I cannot imagine the thousands of trucks that would be driving up and down Main Street daily had we not had the bypass.

So, for Dickinson, my advice: act sooner, not later with regard to a bypass, and think big.

And for The Dickinson Press: think about making it easier to access your site. It's actually the second-best news source for oil news in the state (following the Bismarck Tribune). The Tribune publishes most of the important stories and seems fair and balanced, whereas the Press publishes almost any story regarding the oil patch regardless of importance, and seems to have a definite slant.

Here's the pertinent information:

The North Dakota Department of Transportation has released a diagram of study areas for potential routes for the northwest bypass, which will connect Interstate 94 to Highway 22 north of Dickinson. It will give semi drivers the option to avoid driving on city streets.

The DOT has presented two options. Engineers could connect the bypass to Exit 59 or build an exit to connect to 116th Avenue Southwest. From there, the bypass would go north to 34th Street Southwest or 33rd Street Southwest, where it would head east to connect to Highway 22.

The DOT is also studying 32nd Street Southwest as an option. The bypass could be built to take semis further north on 113th Avenue Southwest, the street connected to Exit 59.