Highway 85 project completed between Watford City and Long X

WATFORD CITY, N.D. (KUMV) - Local and state transportation officials are celebrating the completed expansion of Highway 85 south of Watford City.

The road is now four lanes from the Long X Bridge to Williston. This project covered 12 miles between Watford and the bridge.

Cal Klewin, executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, said it’s a big win for travelers.

“The safety values, the freight, and tourism values are going to be tremendous for us as we continue south down to I-94 and then south to the South Dakota border,” said Klewin.

The project cost around $100 million, which was funded through federal, state, and county funds.

The next leg of expansion will be between a few miles south of the bridge and the Highway 200 turnoff. Klewin says right-of-way work will be done in 2025, with construction set to take place in 2026 and 2027.

Klewin and other officials are still working on procuring more funding for other parts of 85, including the road south of the bridge and between 200 and I-94.