Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - Problems expected at busy intersection

Problems expected at busy intersection

Jul 25, 2007 - 05:25:45 CDT

By LAUREN DONOVAN/Bismarck Tribune

FORT YATES - Cars, buses, kids and commuters are getting all tangled up at the intersection going into Fort Yates. Future growth on the far side of the intersection means it's only going to get worse.

A study is under way with an eye toward more safety and public meetings were held Tuesday at Fort Yates.

With the public school and the Sitting Bull College both expanding west of Highway 24, more than a couple thousand people will be moving through the intersection to work and school.

Traffic counts on Highway 24 and the "T" intersection road of BIA 31 going into Fort Yates are already between 4,000 and 5,000 and the elementary school and several more campus buildings are still to come.

It's likely that only small remedies will be made soon. A major re-do of the intersection will probably take at least two years and cost in the range of $5 million.

There have been five reported accidents at the intersection since 2001. One was a fatality.

On Tuesday, a white compact car was totaled a half-mile north of the intersection with black skid marks to show where it careened out of control and hit an approach.

Richard Lane, an engineer with SRF Consulting Group of Fargo, said he's told there are a number of more minor fender-benders and read-enders at the intersection that don't get reported. The State Department of Transportation hired SRF to study the problem and make recommendations come fall.

The posted speed limit is 40 mph, but the average driver goes about 65 mph, Lane said.

"The speed is the hardest to cure,"" Lane said.

Tribal councilman Henry Harrison said the intersection is "really congested" and will soon get worse with education and housing developments planned for the land west of the highway. Fort Yates has to expand out at the highway because the platted town site a mile off the main road is surrounded by Lake Oahe east and a crescent-shaped floodway all other directions.

Elliot Ward, manager of the tribe's human resources department, said he comes to work on Highway 24 and watches traffic "fly downhill" toward the intersection. "Then you've got the buses, and it backs everything up."

Ward said he'd like to see more ways into Fort Yates, north and south of the intersection, to prevent all the traffic from building up at one critical place.

"It needs to be solved," Ward said.

Mike Collins, of Standing Rock, told the consultants he's concerned about skateboarders, people on bicycles and pedestrians trying to move through the intersection.

LaRay Skinner, who's the reservation's injury prevention coordinator, said on a scale of 1 to 10, she considers the intersection a scale-topping 11.

People are pulling out and passing, she said, and she sees too many children who aren't buckled in.

More law enforcement would help, Skinner said.

Lane said a bypass for through traffic would be ideal, but terrain, money and traffic numbers make it unlikely.

The solution may be to widen the highway, add dedicated turning lanes and possibly install signal lights, Lane said.

A frontage road paralleling the highway would help keep school, college and housing traffic off the highway.

Lane said he expects recommendations will be made in October. Funding would come from the DOT and the BIA, he said.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@;westriv.com.)

News > Local

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Comments

wmarie wrote on Aug 20, 2007 7:06 PM:

" Everytime there is a discussion about any type of improvement on any reservation there is someone who always complains about it being a handout or we are spending their precious tax dollars. Remember, Native Americans pay federal taxes just like everyone else. Also, North Dakota doesn't collect state tax. Regardless of who is at fault, the roads needed to be upgraded once in a while. "

that wont work wrote on Jul 25, 2007 4:12 PM:

" To those who say sit the cops and the intersection and let them do their jobs - how many cops are available? There must be a lot if you can spare one to sit at an intesection all day hoping for a violation. I would say with the gangs and drugs on the reservation, the few cops there are should be doing that, not sitting at an intersection all day. "

To "i wonder" wrote on Jul 25, 2007 4:10 PM:

" It was not the INTERSECTION. The accident happened 1/4 mile north of the intersection on a flat stretch of high way. There is a difference between an intersection and "the road". The car was heading towards the intersection so unless the person was thinking at the time they crashed "boy, that is a dangerous intersection ahead", I don't see how the accident could possibly be blamed on the intersection. There are only about 6 cops that work the entire reservation. Apparently they have better things to do then enforce traffic laws. I guess if they have to choose between someone speeding and a call about someone beating up his wife they will chose the latter. A friend of mine told me a tow truck driver told him that the stretch of road between Fort Yates and Mandan is the only place he ever wears a seatbelt. I can see why, people seem to obey stop signs and right of ways as well here as in Bismarck. Except out here it's people pulling out in front of vehicles going 65 mph. "

i wonder wrote on Jul 25, 2007 3:17 PM:

" the comment about Don't blame the intersection how do you know it wasnt the road was you in the car when it wrecked or was you around when it happened or did you wreck yourself to say it in fact wasnt the road i guess not... "

Look at the Facts wrote on Jul 25, 2007 12:18 PM:

" Maybe if the people had a driver's licence and obide by the law this would not be a problem. Why don't the cops do there job and sit there and pull people over and take the vehicle if they don't hold a licence? No just let them keep driving and wreck and NOTHING is done except a slap on the hand. Hardly a week goes by without seeing a car in the ditch and it being torched. I also see more children unbuckled then are buckled in like they should be. Just driving for a couple minutes you can see a baby sitting on the drivers lap, kids STANDING on the front seat of a moving car and kids hanging their head out the window. Where is the law and what is done about it? "

JC wrote on Jul 25, 2007 9:51 AM:

" Put that casino money to use...Why are my tax's being used for a reservation project???? Oh Golly here comes the "race" card...whats new "

Don't blame it on the intersection! wrote on Jul 25, 2007 9:40 AM:

" That car that was flipped over that the story mentioned? That wasn't because of this intersection. As someone who drives these roads every day, it is a common occurrence. Hardly a week goes by without seeing a car in the ditch. I also see more children unbuckled then are buckled in like they should be. Just driving for a couple minutes you can see a baby sitting on the drivers lap, kids STANDING on the front seat of a moving car and kids hanging their head out the window. For as many accidents as happen down here you would think there would be more children deaths due to unbuckled children. "

Tommy wrote on Jul 25, 2007 8:08 AM:

" Maybe they should build a 20 million dollar overhead walkway with a motorized, moving sidewalk in a heated enclosure. "

Well wrote on Jul 25, 2007 6:25 AM:

" How does a new intersection help the fact that people are speeding and kids aren't buckled in. MAYBE THE COPS SHOULD SIT AT THE INTERSECTION AND BUST PEOPLE! (You know,,, do their jobs) "

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