Audin Rhodes/MDN The busted wooden posts and twisted metal of the guardrails near the Gate E entrance to the North Dakota State Fairgrounds litter the sidewalk of East Burdick Expressway on Friday.

Craig Rudland, general manager of the North Dakota State Fair, deployed a local construction company to hastily fix the fence that was damaged in a vehicular crash Friday.

Rudland said the fence has already been fixed and estimates the repairs account for around $3,000 worth of damage. He said the local company who fixed the fence was reliable and fast, qualities much needed in order to have the fence fixed in time for the State Fair opening this Friday.

Rudland hopes the guardrail on East Burdick Expressway will also be fixed promptly due to the damaged, disfigured rail being not only an eyesore but a danger to fairgoers and civilians alike.

On Friday at 3:19 p.m., Ward County Sheriff’s Department received a call reporting that a maroon Chevrolet pickup truck had crashed through a guardrail and fence on Burdick Expressway. The witness reported a male driver and female passenger. The male driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.

The City of Minot’s Public Works Street Department has been tasked with repairing the guardrail. Kevin Braaten, superintendent of the Street Department, said their goal is to have the guardrail repaired well before the North Dakota State Parade. The company the Street Department is working with estimated repairs will be done by Wednesday.

Reconstruction of the guardrail must wait until permissions have been approved by 811 North Dakota One Call, which ensures the safe digging required to install the 4-foot wooden posts of the new guardrail.

“Seems like it gets hit every year,” Braaten said about the location of the damage.

Braaten said the Street Department has repaired those guardrails numerous times during winter and summer months alike, saying the location has received its fair share of abuse. He speculated the recurring accidents are caused in part by the curve of the road and other factors, such as distracted driving.

Braaten estimated the repairs of the guardrail would cost a few thousand dollars.