03/18/2024 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Update DC Fly In
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway and Ports to Plains Alliance.
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02/27/2024 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Update DC Fly In
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
Ports to Plains Washington DC Fly In/Board Report
March 4-7
US 85 Updates February 2024
Information provided to the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association by North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT)
• State Gets $55M Federal Grant for Highway 85
Supports Four-Lane from Long X Bridge to Hwy 200
• The second year of construction will continue in 2024 on the segment between the Long X Bridge and Watford City.
• The roadway should be substantially complete by the Fall of 2024.
Project Development between ND 200 and Long X Bridge
• Project Development activities are ongoing on the segment between ND 200 and Long X Bridge. This includes design engineering, permitting, right of way acquisition and utility relocations.
• NDDOT is working through the grant requirements, grant agreement, and matching funding plan for construction of the segment just north of ND 200 to just south of the Badlands.
• Development an overall funding plan for the remaining work on US 85 as requested by the Legislature.
• The unfunded segments for construction are between I-94 and ND 200 and the Badlands segment south of Long X Bridge.
• NDOT is working on a request for proposals (RFP) to hire a consultant to start the project development and design engineering for the segments between I-94 and ND 200.
Other
• North Dakota is excited about hosting the 2024 Ports-to-Plains Conference in Dickinson. Preliminary planning is being discussed with in the Community and this spring will begin full planning duties with Ports to Plains.
• I have also included in this report the Connecting National Treasures Document we have shared with the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Congressional Members ((North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana)
• Final 2023 Oversize/Overweight Permit Comparison
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02/27/2024 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway/ Ports to Plains Alliance Economic Strengths
THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT EXPRESSWAY (TRE) AND THE PORTS TO PLAINS TRADE CORRIDOR (P2P)
WHAT DRIVES NORTH DAKOTA’S ECONOMY?
Over 89% of North Dakota land is dedicated to farming operations. In 2020 North Dakota generated over $7.3 billion in agricultural cash receipts. In the same year North Dakota’s agricultural production and processing industries represented over 7% of the states GDP. 20% of this agricultural production occurs in counties that are served by the TRE and the trade corridor. North Dakota’s agricultural exports total over $865 million. $280 million is transported by truck to Canada and $7.5 million to Mexico. $542 million is transported by truck to other states on the P2P trade corridor.
In 2021 North Dakota produced over 455 million barrels of oil and 1195 million cubic feet of gas which represents over $2 billion in oil tax collections. ($22 billion from 2008 to 2020). 99% of the oil and gas production occurs in the counties supported by the TRE and P2P trade corridor. In terms of transportation impacts, the oil and gas industry generated over 165,000 oversize/overweight permits in 2021. 21% (35,131) of these permits were issued for US 85, still primarily a 2-lane highway on the TRE and P2P trade corridor.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE TRE AND P2P TRADE CORRIDOR TO NORTH DAKOTA
The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (TRE) is the Northern third of the Ports to Plains Alliance. It runs from Rapid City, SD to Canada through the Port of Raymond in Montana. The TRE begins in Rapid City and flows through the cities of Spearfish, Belle Fourche, Bowman, Belfield, Watford City, Williston, Culbertson, Plentywood, and finally through the Port of Raymond into Canada.
The 2,300-mile Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor runs from Mexico to Canada through nine rural states and serves several major international border crossings, including Laredo, Texas. The Corridor includes three congressionally designated High Priority Corridors on the National Highway System (NHS): • Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor #38 • Heartland Expressway #14 • Theodore Roosevelt Expressway #5.
Approximately 1100 of the 2300-mile corridor 47% has been upgraded to four-lane or better including 10 miles on US 2 west of Williston, ND, and 40 miles on US 85 from Williston to Watford City, ND. In Texas and New Mexico, the next evolution of this corridor will be to build out to future interstate standards since this segment was recently designated federally as a future interstate. In North Dakota, we need to complete 160 miles of US 85 from Watford City to the North Dakota/South Dakota State Line.
Along the P2P trade corridor, 12 of the nation’s top 20 feedlots are served by this transportation artery. This corridor supports over $11 billion a year in agriculture production. In 2022 this corridor exported over 1,414.3 1000/tons of trade commodities with Canada valued at $1.7 billion and 12.2 1000/tons of trade commodities with Mexico valued at $112.9 million. North Dakota’s trade benefit on this corridor is projected in the USDOT Freight Analysis Framework to grow to 3,575.3 1000/tons with Canada valued at $2.6 billion by 2050.
Another unique feature of the P2P trade corridor which includes the TRE is that fact that two of the nation’s largest oil fields anchors both ends of this corridor, the Permian Basin in Texas, and the Bakken in North Dakota. Some of the nation’s largest oil companies are working both fields which is facilitating the movement of commodities and resources up and down the corridor.
WHY SHOULD NORTH DAKOTA INVEST IN THE TRE AND P2P TRADE CORRIDOR?
Completing the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (TRE) to a four- lane divided highway will position the State to take full advantage of the future benefits that are expected to be realized as the whole corridor is finally completed throughout United States. Population projections along the P2P corridor will continue to see increases with Denver Colorado, a major metropolitan area being served by these transportation improvements. Trade with Mexico will double in the next thirty years and agricultural commodities such as beef and feedstock will continue to be significant trade items.
The corridor connects major tourism destinations in SD and ND. It connects the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, and the Badlands in SD with Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Future Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in ND. I-94 provides a significant resource to attract tourists moving east-west. The TRE Corridor in North Dakota, along with its connections on the entire P2P Corridor, provides a significant opportunity to add to the tourists moving north-south in North America.
Every study that has looked at this transportation corridor over the past 15 years has recognized a positive return on the investment with significant increases in state’s economic GDP.
We hope that our federal delegation will support the efforts of NDDOT in building this corridor with federal funding including discretionary grant funding and annual appropriations opportunities. Completing the TRE in North Dakota is good for the state and good for business. We hope that our federal delegation will support the U.S. 85 Expansion Study from Belle Fourche, SD to its Junction with Interstate Highway 94 in North Dakota with federal funding including discretionary grant funding and annual appropriations opportunities.
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12/26/2023 State Receives 55 M for Highway
State Gets $55M Grant for Highway 85
Supports Four-Lane from Long X Bridge to Hwy 200
The funding will be used to four-lane about 13 miles of the highway between the Long X Bridge and the junction with Highway 200. The project will not cover the entire stretch south of the bridge, according to NDDOT Director of Planning Chad Orn. He said the project does not include the 6.5 miles immediately south of the bridge. Orn said it also does not include plans for construction of a roundabout at the junction of Hwy 85 and 200 (see map). We are continuing to work on the final design, right of ways, utility relocations, and permitting for that segment. We are also continuing our discussions and work on the study requested by the Legislature on how to fund the complete build out of US 85 all the way to I-94, and this segment will be included in that study. See Map Below
The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association and the Ports to Plains Alliance are recognized as High Priority Corridor Nationally. We will continue to work towards funding the corridor through State and Federal funding avenues to completion.
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12/11/2023 $55 million coming for expansion of Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
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10/05/2023 Update Meeting 2023
The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association Update meeting will be held on October 27, 2023 at the NDSU Extension in Dickinson, ND.
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08/07/2023 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Update
U.S 85 Continues
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08/03/2023 KFYR
KFYR Video
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10/23/2022 3rd quarter 2022
Oversized, overweight permitted load number comparisons (2 lane-4 lane), and updated information for US Highway 85, 4 lane construction progress.
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04/25/2022 Theodore Roosevelt Expressway 1st Quarter 2022
The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway 4 lane project is going SOUTH!!!!
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