By ELOISE OGDEN

Regional Editor

eogden@minotdailynews.com

NEW TOWN Truckers must use the new bypass at New Town or face a $1,500 fine if they drive through the city without a delivery purpose there.

The new ordinance only exempts truckers who have a delivery in the city for loading or unloading property, at a designated “destination point.”

In November, state, tribal and local officials celebrated the completion of the new bypass, or New Town Truck Reliever Route, a project to cut the truck traffic through the city of New Town in the Bakken oil boom area. Every day, thousands of vehicles, many of them trucks, have been going through Main Street in New Town.

New Town City Auditor Eileen Zaun said a city official observed during a 25-minute span during daytime hours that 45 trucks went through the city without stopping.

Zaun said signs now are in place at the east and west ends of the city designating the new truck relief route, also known as Highway 23 B. There’s also signs warning truck drivers of the ordinance on the west and east ends of town as well as on the north side.

The New Town City Council’s final reading of the ordinance was Jan. 21.

Zaun said New Town Police and Three Affiliated Tribes Police have been issuing warnings to drivers going through New Town without a destination point for loading and unloading items.

Now that the signs are in place and the ordinance has been published locally, law enforcement officers will be issuing tickets starting this week, Zaun said.

Trucks are also not allowed to park on streets or sidewalks.

The ordinance is limited to trucks whose body weight or whose combined body and load weight exceeds 35,000 pounds.

According to the ordinance:

Westbound trucks approaching the city of New Town must turn right at the junction of N.D. Highway 23 and Highway 23B, and proceed upon Highway 23B, to avoid traveling into and through New Town on Highway 23, also known as Main Street, and continue on Highway 23B until they reach the junction of N.D. Highway 1804.

Eastbound trucks upon entering New Town, must turn left onto Highway 1804, at the junction of Highway 23 and Highway 1804, and proceed north until the driver reaches the junction of Highway 1804 and Highway 23B, and then use Highway 23B to a point east of New Town at the junction of Highway 23.

Northbound and southbound trucks are prohibited from using Highway 23, or Main Street, between the traffic light located at the corner of Highway 23 and Highway 1804, and the traffic light located at the corner of Highway 23 and College Drive.

This year, construction is scheduled to begin on Main Street in New Town, from the bypass on the east to Highway 1804 at the west side of the city. The berms on Main Street will be removed for the construction and then replaced. Plans are for the project to be completed this year.