10/28/2024 Highway 85 project completed : Watford City to Long X
Read more on Highway 85 project completed between Watford City and Long X at KFYR TV.
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10/25/2024 US 85 Ribbion Cutting
View Facebook video
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10/18/2024 New Interactive Google map available
New resource added. Google Interactive Map showing the path that the the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway will follow. It begins in Rapid City, SD and flows north to Canada via the Port of Raymond in Montana. Additional points of interest are included.
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09/26/2024 2024 Annual Conference Highlights
The 2024 Ports-to-Plains Alliance Conference was held September 10th-12th in beautiful Dickinson, North Dakota. Our theme this year was titled “Connecting North America” and with participants coming from eight different states and Canada, that is exactly what we did!
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09/13/2024 Community Award to Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
Williston, ND - Williston Economic Development (WED) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) held their annual awards banquet on Friday, September 13th at the Grand Williston Hotel and Conference Center in Williston. About 170 people attended the celebratory event. Each year, the offices of WED and SBDC select finalists for a minimum of nine different categories. Members of the Williston STAR Fund Board of Directors, Williston City Commission, and the Western Region Economic Development (WRED) Board of Directors vote on the nominees and the winners are recognized at the awards banquet.
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07/23/2024 Ports to Plains Alliance to Hold Annual Conference in Dickinson North Dakota
Dickinson to host Ports-to-Plains Alliance conference, aims to boost regional growth.
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05/25/2024 NDDOT
NDDOT Director Outlines Western ND Work
Flex Grants, Hwy 85 Four-Lane, Marley Crossing
The bright future for North Dakota's oil industry was reflected this week in a presentation by ND Department of Transportation Director Ron Henke, who provided an update on major road construction projects in western North Dakota at this week's Energy Transportation Roundtable.
Henke explained NDDOT's effort to persuade the legislature to create a Flexible Transportation Fund. He said the $222.5 million put into the fund can be spent off the state highway system, supporting projects in counties, cities and townships throughout the state. The department awarded 66 grants totaling $84 million earlier this year. But Henke said the best part of the fund is that it will receive a continuing appropriation from the legislature.
Click here to listen to Henke's comments.
Henke also provided an update on the effort to four-lane the entire length of Highway 85 between Watford City and Interstate 94 (click here to see map). He said the piece between Watford City and the LongX Bridge will be completed this year, and the state has received a $55 million federal grant for the stretch from about six miles south of the bridge, south to the junction with Highway 200. Henke said because construction is so expensive in the rugged terrain south of the bridge, the state had decided to skip over it for now.
Click here to listen to Henke's comments.
NDDOT was directed by the legislature to come up with a plan to complete the widening of Highway 85 to the Interstate, and must submit its findings by August 1.
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03/18/2024 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Update DC Fly In
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway and Ports to Plains Alliance.
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02/27/2024 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Update DC Fly In
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
Ports to Plains Washington DC Fly In/Board Report
March 4-7
US 85 Updates February 2024
Information provided to the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association by North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT)
• State Gets $55M Federal Grant for Highway 85
Supports Four-Lane from Long X Bridge to Hwy 200
• The second year of construction will continue in 2024 on the segment between the Long X Bridge and Watford City.
• The roadway should be substantially complete by the Fall of 2024.
Project Development between ND 200 and Long X Bridge
• Project Development activities are ongoing on the segment between ND 200 and Long X Bridge. This includes design engineering, permitting, right of way acquisition and utility relocations.
• NDDOT is working through the grant requirements, grant agreement, and matching funding plan for construction of the segment just north of ND 200 to just south of the Badlands.
• Development an overall funding plan for the remaining work on US 85 as requested by the Legislature.
• The unfunded segments for construction are between I-94 and ND 200 and the Badlands segment south of Long X Bridge.
• NDOT is working on a request for proposals (RFP) to hire a consultant to start the project development and design engineering for the segments between I-94 and ND 200.
Other
• North Dakota is excited about hosting the 2024 Ports-to-Plains Conference in Dickinson. Preliminary planning is being discussed with in the Community and this spring will begin full planning duties with Ports to Plains.
• I have also included in this report the Connecting National Treasures Document we have shared with the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Congressional Members ((North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana)
• Final 2023 Oversize/Overweight Permit Comparison
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02/27/2024 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway/ Ports to Plains Alliance Economic Strengths
THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT EXPRESSWAY (TRE) AND THE PORTS TO PLAINS TRADE CORRIDOR (P2P)
WHAT DRIVES NORTH DAKOTA’S ECONOMY?
Over 89% of North Dakota land is dedicated to farming operations. In 2020 North Dakota generated over $7.3 billion in agricultural cash receipts. In the same year North Dakota’s agricultural production and processing industries represented over 7% of the states GDP. 20% of this agricultural production occurs in counties that are served by the TRE and the trade corridor. North Dakota’s agricultural exports total over $865 million. $280 million is transported by truck to Canada and $7.5 million to Mexico. $542 million is transported by truck to other states on the P2P trade corridor.
In 2021 North Dakota produced over 455 million barrels of oil and 1195 million cubic feet of gas which represents over $2 billion in oil tax collections. ($22 billion from 2008 to 2020). 99% of the oil and gas production occurs in the counties supported by the TRE and P2P trade corridor. In terms of transportation impacts, the oil and gas industry generated over 165,000 oversize/overweight permits in 2021. 21% (35,131) of these permits were issued for US 85, still primarily a 2-lane highway on the TRE and P2P trade corridor.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE TRE AND P2P TRADE CORRIDOR TO NORTH DAKOTA
The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (TRE) is the Northern third of the Ports to Plains Alliance. It runs from Rapid City, SD to Canada through the Port of Raymond in Montana. The TRE begins in Rapid City and flows through the cities of Spearfish, Belle Fourche, Bowman, Belfield, Watford City, Williston, Culbertson, Plentywood, and finally through the Port of Raymond into Canada.
The 2,300-mile Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor runs from Mexico to Canada through nine rural states and serves several major international border crossings, including Laredo, Texas. The Corridor includes three congressionally designated High Priority Corridors on the National Highway System (NHS): • Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor #38 • Heartland Expressway #14 • Theodore Roosevelt Expressway #5.
Approximately 1100 of the 2300-mile corridor 47% has been upgraded to four-lane or better including 10 miles on US 2 west of Williston, ND, and 40 miles on US 85 from Williston to Watford City, ND. In Texas and New Mexico, the next evolution of this corridor will be to build out to future interstate standards since this segment was recently designated federally as a future interstate. In North Dakota, we need to complete 160 miles of US 85 from Watford City to the North Dakota/South Dakota State Line.
Along the P2P trade corridor, 12 of the nation’s top 20 feedlots are served by this transportation artery. This corridor supports over $11 billion a year in agriculture production. In 2022 this corridor exported over 1,414.3 1000/tons of trade commodities with Canada valued at $1.7 billion and 12.2 1000/tons of trade commodities with Mexico valued at $112.9 million. North Dakota’s trade benefit on this corridor is projected in the USDOT Freight Analysis Framework to grow to 3,575.3 1000/tons with Canada valued at $2.6 billion by 2050.
Another unique feature of the P2P trade corridor which includes the TRE is that fact that two of the nation’s largest oil fields anchors both ends of this corridor, the Permian Basin in Texas, and the Bakken in North Dakota. Some of the nation’s largest oil companies are working both fields which is facilitating the movement of commodities and resources up and down the corridor.
WHY SHOULD NORTH DAKOTA INVEST IN THE TRE AND P2P TRADE CORRIDOR?
Completing the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (TRE) to a four- lane divided highway will position the State to take full advantage of the future benefits that are expected to be realized as the whole corridor is finally completed throughout United States. Population projections along the P2P corridor will continue to see increases with Denver Colorado, a major metropolitan area being served by these transportation improvements. Trade with Mexico will double in the next thirty years and agricultural commodities such as beef and feedstock will continue to be significant trade items.
The corridor connects major tourism destinations in SD and ND. It connects the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, and the Badlands in SD with Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Future Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in ND. I-94 provides a significant resource to attract tourists moving east-west. The TRE Corridor in North Dakota, along with its connections on the entire P2P Corridor, provides a significant opportunity to add to the tourists moving north-south in North America.
Every study that has looked at this transportation corridor over the past 15 years has recognized a positive return on the investment with significant increases in state’s economic GDP.
We hope that our federal delegation will support the efforts of NDDOT in building this corridor with federal funding including discretionary grant funding and annual appropriations opportunities. Completing the TRE in North Dakota is good for the state and good for business. We hope that our federal delegation will support the U.S. 85 Expansion Study from Belle Fourche, SD to its Junction with Interstate Highway 94 in North Dakota with federal funding including discretionary grant funding and annual appropriations opportunities.
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