U.S. Highway 85 - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

U.S. Highway 85

U.S. Highway 85 could be getting a make over.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation is seeking comments on making 85 a four lane highway from I-94 to Watford City.

Oil activity has spurred an increase in traffic on that stretch.

With an estimated thirty to forty percent of traffic on the highway being trucks, the department says that safety is a major concern.

Widening highway 85 would alleviate backups and increase traffic flow.

(Robert Fode/ ND DOT) "Traffic has increased and continues to increase on that corridor and now we're actually going in and doing the environmental document and that's what you've seen advertised through the STIP process."

Robert says it could be three to five years before construction gets started.