The upcoming expansion of Highway 52 to a “Super 2” Highway will provide real benefits to drivers traveling to and from Minot, all the way from Carrington up to Kenmare. Currently, this 165-mile stretch of road is largely two-lane highway that supports a significant amount of east to west agriculture and energy transportation, along with drivers traveling between communities in the region.

Having grown up in Minot, I’ve traveled this road often, and continue to do so now to visit family and friends. I know just how vital these passing lanes will be to improve roadway safety for all travelers.

The reality is that over the past two decades, our state has experienced a broad expansion across a variety of sectors, including energy, and this investment will help ensure our transportation system can meet the demands of our ever-growing economy.

That’s why we worked with the state, and the North Dakota Department of Transportation, to help fund this critical roadway project, securing a $16.74 million federal grant through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Act program.

Through my role on the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee, I’ve worked to ensure strong support for this key infrastructure program in annual funding bills. Then, along with the rest of North Dakota’s congressional delegation, I made the case to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to select Highway 52 for an INFRA award.

As a result, the state received $16.75 million under this program, one of only 24 projects nationwide to receive funding this year and the first ever INFRA award to North Dakota. The funds will support the construction of passing and turning lanes to better accommodate the industrial vehicles that travel this corridor daily.

Further, the project will connect to an additional roadway upgrade reaching the border crossing at Portal, North Dakota, providing agriculture and energy producers in our state with greater access to trade with our close ally Canada.

Through this project, our state is creating an east to west freight corridor that will help ensure the safer and more efficient transportation of people and goods in north-central North Dakota. That means fewer delays, better traveling conditions and less costs for businesses and residents