Road construction is a part of life.  Sometimes it's just an irritating delay but in the case of this first construction project, you could put a serious dent in your day. So like the boy scouts I'm here to help you be prepared.

Being forewarned is being forearmed.

Somewhere in the windmills of my mind, I remembered that old-timey phrase and I believe it applies to the start of this Monday's River Road project.  The unique aspect of almost any construction project down on River Road is that there's really never a detour. By the time you see the cones, you've come too far.

River Road road work is to start Monday.

Pretty sure it was last year when I was supposed to meet some folks at the Lewis and Clark Riverboat and dopey me forgot about a construction project in the area.  So I could see the riverboat but had to retrace my path, take a bridge, travel a few miles on 94, exit the highway to Burnt Boat Drive, etc...problem was I was running late.  We almost had to swim out to the departing boat. Hopefully, this heads-up will help you avoid that situation. This is from the City of Bismarck.

SUBJECT:     River Road Closed to Traffic between Keel Boat Park/Riverboat landing and Burnt Boat Drive (Phase 1)

 WHEN:          Starting Monday, June 27, 2022

 Starting 8:00 AM, MondayJune 27, 2022, River Road between Keelboat Park/Riverboat Landing and Burnt Boat Drive will be closed to all traffic for roadway repairs and installation of pavement markings. The Riverboat Landing and Boat ramp will be accessible from the south. Pioneer Park will be accessible from the north.

 No Detour routes will be provided.

 This closure will be in place until Thursday, June 30, 2022.

Sure, River Road was just shut down last week due to more landslides, but you may have read that news beforehand and decided to skip it altogether. So hopefully this helps you avoid an aggravating incident next week on River Road.  It is one of my favorite ways to get around.

Here are two new projects also starting soon in Bismarck

Now, these won't ruin your day, but they could add extra time to your commute.  Especially if you're hitting them at peak traffic times. This info is also provided by the City of Bismarck.

Starting 7:00AM, Monday, June 27, 2022, the two outside southbound lanes on 7th Street from 300ft south of Avenue B through Rosser Avenue will be closed to traffic. The middle two remaining lanes will be open. 

The lane closure will be in place for approximately three weeks. This is the first phase of this closure on the project.

This next project actually starts Tuesday. It's a streetlight project on Century in North Bismarck. Again, not life-shattering, but it may be a little time-consuming. Let's let the City of Bismarck break that down for us.

Starting 6:00 AM, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, Denny’s Electric will be converting the streetlights to LED along Century Avenue between Arizona Drive and Tyler Parkway This work will require the closure of the inside median traffic lanes.

 The work zones will be broken into three segments. The first segment of work will begin at Arizona Drive to State Street.  The second segment will be from State Street to Washington Street. The final segment will be from Washington Street to Tyler Parkway. Traffic speeds in the work zone areas will be reduced to 25 MPH. The work should be completed by late Wednesday evening, weather permitting.

Expect long delays for a couple of days.  So be prepared and watch out for road construction.  Also, watch out for out-of-town McQuade softball participants driving the wrong way on either seventh or ninth streets.

Good luck out there!


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