Jill Schramm/MDN Mike Huffington, environmental lead, and project manager Jennifer Turnbow of Ulteig Engineers participate in a public meeting on proposed improvements to U.S. Highway 52 in Minot Wednesday.

Engineers completed a series of public meetings on proposed improvements to U.S. Highway 52 after taking comments in Harvey Thursday.

Representatives of Ulteig Engineers, contracted by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, outlined the design and construction plans for the highway between Carrington and Minot at the meetings in Carrington, Velva, Minot and Harvey over the past week.

“One of the biggest reasons that these projects are needed is there is a lot of truck traffic on U.S. 52. We also have passenger vehicles, and this project would give those opportunities to pass,” said Jennifer Turnbow, project manager with Ulteig. “There’s about 2,000 to 4000 average annual vehicles per day on this stretch of roadway.”

The improvements consist of 23 passing/climbing lanes and turn lanes. Passing lanes will be spaced about every 10 miles for each direction of travel and will be about two miles in length.

The approximate 35 miles between Minot to east of Balfour is proposed to have eight passing lanes, with turn lane improvements at Ward County Highways 18, 23 and 25 and at 14th Avenue North and N.D. Highway 53. Other work includes a box culvert extension and possible railroad crossing improvements a mile west of Voltaire.

The approximate 45 miles from Balfour to Fessenden would have nine passing lanes and turn lane improvements at both N.D. Highway 14 junctions, N.D. Highway 9 and 30th Avenue North. Guard rail upgrades are planned at the bridge over Wintering River. Ulteig is studying the possibility of truck lanes at a railroad crossing.

The approximate 36 miles between Fessenden and Carrington is proposed to have six passing lanes and turn lane improvements at N.D. Highway 15.

Lighting upgrades also will be made along the corridor.

The Fessenden to Carrington segment is scheduled to begin construction next year, with the Fessenden to Balfour segment the following year, and the Balfour to Minot segment in 2024.

During construction, two-way traffic will be maintained for a majority of the construction area, according to Ulteig.

“There will be times during paving operation where we’ll have single-lane closures, but we’ll be utilizing pilot cars in those locations,” said Josh Kueber, design lead on the project. “The passing lane improvements are two miles in length, so that traffic control will be limited in length.”

Currently, field studies are in progress to collect information such as elevation data, noise data and identification of cultural resources.

“What we’re going to do is use all the information that we collect to then analyze and determine our impacts to the natural environment,” said Mike Huffington, environmental lead on the project. He mentioned the significant number of wetlands that will require the involvement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through their permitting processes.

The project schedule anticipates completing the environmental document this fall for the Carrington to Fessenden segment and next spring for the remainder of the project. Final design plans would be completed in the winter or spring before construction begins on each segment.

Comments will continue to be taken until Aug. 20 in writing to Jen Turnbow, project manager, Ulteig Engineers, 419 Riverwood Drive Suite 201, Bismarck, ND 58504, or jennifer.turnbow@ulteig.com, using US Highway 52 in the subject heading.

The project can be viewed online at https://arcg.is/biyDj0.