The Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization is proceeding with Phase II of a study for a beltway roadway to encircle Bismarck-Mandan.

A series of public hearings are pending in December to discuss draft findings about the second phase of the project. Phase II is known as the North-South Beltway Corridor Study. Residents will be invited to give their input by the end of the year.

The plan was revisited last week during a Bismarck-Mandan MPO Board meeting, held at the Bis-Man Transit building in Bismarck.

"Now, we are looking at where these roadways should be located," said Ben Ehreth, a transportation planner with the Bismarck-Mandan MPO of the North-South Beltway Study.

Northern bridge

Phase I of the project reviewed the Northern Bridge Corridor Study in 2005. It was adopted as an ideal new river crossing between Bismarck and Mandan from the north side.

The Phase I study eyed linking 24th Avenue from the Mandan side of the Missouri River to N.D. Highway 83 on the Bismarck side.

Its goal was to identify a logical river crossing between northern Mandan and northern Bismarck.

"Portions of Phase I run along 37th Street in Morton County and North Dakota 1804 in Burleigh County,"Ehreth said.

The bridge crossing was adopted by MPO as a possible link site between the cities.

Beltway study

The current North-South Beltway Corridor Study will determine where the north-south legs would be located.

Ehreth said the north-south routes considered for Bismarck in Phase II are 66th Street in Burleigh County and 80th Street in Burleigh County. "You also have to look at how to tie it into the Northern Bridge somehow. So, there we are looking at 71st Avenue and 84th Avenue, which are part of the first phase of the beltway," Ehreth said.

To tie into the south side of the corridor on the Bismarck side of the river, Ehreth said 48th Avenue and 62nd Avenue appear to be the best roadways at this point.

"Ultimately, the beltway corridors considered from Morton County were 24th Avenue and it would tie into 46th Street South," Ehreth said. "Currently on the Morton County side, there is an interim proposal to use roadways already in place as a temporary beltway facility."

"It would use portions of North Dakota Highway 25 to tie back in. On 24th Avenue would be the preferred alignment, but there currently is not an interchange" Ehreth said.

He said an interchange would have to be constructed on Highway 25.

The purpose of the North-South Beltway study is to identify optimal alignments for the north and south legs for the corridor.

Phase II the beltway study is scheduled for completion in April of 2009.

South bridge

A third phase of the beltway, which involves a south crossing bridge between Bismarck and Mandan on the Missouri River, remains in the discussion phase. Ehreth said the start of that study is still pending.

He said building any of the phases depends upon development. "That would really be the driving force of construction of the beltway. Right now, we're looking at really trying to preserve the corridors associated with the beltway," he said.

Ehreth said no specific timeline has been mapped out for the projects.

"Ultimately, in the 2001 Long Range Transportation Plan, the beltway concept was first proposed as a way that would enhance the movement of people and goods in Bismarck and Mandan," Ehreth said. This would ease expected congestion.

"There is currently not a problem, but based upon development, we anticipate some existing roadways may experience some level of congestion. This is a way to alleviate that."

Ehreth said criteria considered for optimal locations within the corridor were topography, existing development, river crossings and existing access points.

He added it is too early to project the cost of the projects. He said the LRTP process would prioritize which projects were most needed compared to other transportation needs within the communities.

While the LRTP highlights possible projects up to 2035, Ehreth said that doesn't mean they will all be completed by that time frame. That includes the corridor.

"The important thing is to look at preserving the corridor. We don't know what portions specifically or if any will be constructed in the next 20 years." he said.

Ehreth said they are in the process of developing a draft for the North-South Beltway. "Out of that there will be suggestions in terms of preferred alignments. … In December, some of these draft concepts will be proposed to the public."

Comments may be submitted to: http://nscorridors.ulteig.biz/default.aspx.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@;bismarcktribune.com.)