November 2025 Volume 23 Issue 11

We are a voice for our small town, grassroots members who may otherwise not have access to the right audiences, as well as a conduit for industry to come together in support and promotion of transportation improvements.

We are committed to working as an Alliance to improve transportation infrastructure and business networks opportunities, by advocating for appropriate funding levels, so business and industry can thrive.

We are focused on the economic and business interests that are the lifeblood of the region.

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PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By the time you read this article, I hope that I will have completed having a successful surgery. I went into the doctor last month to visit about a hip replacement and found a tumor instead. So, we have to get that out first, and the hip can come later. What I am grateful for, however, is the access that I have to quality health care. We drove into Abilene Texas the night before since the surgery is scheduled for 7:30 in the morning. Abilene has a good healthcare network with access to quality doctors and facilities. I can remember 30 plus years ago nearly blowing the top of my head off with a firework and I was given the choice of driving 25 miles to Winters or 35 miles to Abilene. I said, “Get me to Abilene.” It was all about access! Abilene also seems to be the epicenter for all of these new AI data centers. Google just announced two new centers up by Haskell Texas, about 50 miles north of Abilene. The reasons stated for these new centers was access to water and electricity.

This is why we are so big on securing a federal funding program to build future interstates across this great nation, connecting rural communities to metropolitan centers, giving people access to things like quality healthcare, and providing families with more quality choices like where to live, work, and play. Time and time again, we witness businesses making location choices that factor in access to interstates. Interstates help build economies. Future interstates will also build new unrealized economies. Interstates allow our military access to strategic ports when it becomes necessary for rapid deployment. Interstates bring food resources to your dinner table cheaper and quicker while also giving you access to more choices for supper. Interstates save lives by giving you access to a transportation system designed with higher standards including grade separations and controlled access.

It is this control of access that I want to finish this article with. When the talk centers on building an interstate through your community, or around your community, people get concerned really quick that “this interstate will bypass my town.” Or another concern is that this new interstate will displace communities including those in depressed neighborhoods, because real estate prices would be cheaper when acquiring the right-of-way needed for infrastructure of this size. All I can say is that we have learned a lot in the past fifty years of interstate building. Even businesses have matured when it comes to working with state DOT’s on access issues. They recognize the value of strategic signing coupled with easier access to help drivers make smart choices when it comes to where exits are placed. Even interstate designers are armed with the necessary tools to reconnect communities and protect underrepresented voices when it comes to interstate alignments these days. And finally, building these future interstates will give everyone access to new technologies as they come online, even those that have not even been thought of yet. It is all about the access!

more to come …

Lauren D. Garduño

Two Projects on U.S. 85 in North Dakota Have Successful Bid Openings

The projects, funded by a mix of state and federal dollars under North Dakota Senate Bill 2012, total $155 million and span 19.5 miles south of the Long X Bridge to the junction with Highway 200 were bid in November. The first segment bid, from reference post 120.3 to the Long X Bridge in McKenzie County, was opened on November 7, 2025, and the second, from Highway 200 north to RP120.3 about eight miles north of Grassy Butte, was opened on November 7, 2025.

November 7, 2025 - US 85 Expansion - RP 120.3 North to the Long X Bridge

A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) / Record of Decision (ROD) was completed in February 2019 for this corridor. The scope of the project includes widening the highway to a four‐lane divided facility, including reconstruction/upgrade of corridor, and addressing erosion/geotechnical concerns. The state of North Dakota allocated US $100 million in state funds for the segment. The Engineer estimates ranged from $90-100 million.

NDDOT received 5 bids ranging between $83.8 million and $102 million. The apparent low bid of $83.8 million was from Park Construction Company headquartered out of Minneapolis, MN.

Construction is anticipated to be bid in the fall of 2025 and take place over two construction seasons in 2026 and 2027.

November 21, 2025 - US-85 Expansion - RP 120.3 to ND 200

A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) / Record of Decision (ROD) was completed in February 2019 for this corridor. The RP 120.3 to ND 200 US-85 project reconstructs approximately 12 miles of highway into a four-lane divided corridor, including intersection upgrades, drainage improvements, new pavement structure, shoulder widening, access management, safety enhancements, environmental mitigation, utility relocation, and full traffic control. The state of North Dakota allocated US $55 million in state funds to match $55 million of federal funding through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant for the segment. The Engineer estimates was $93.7 million.

Construction is anticipated to be bid in the fall of 2025 and take place over two construction seasons in 2026 and 2027.

Moving the Herd: The Critical Role of Highways in Livestock and Ag Trade

Presenter: Josh Winegarner, Director of Government Affairs, Texas Cattle Feeders Association

Moving livestock across the region is certainly an Interstate Advantage. In the 2020 Ports-to-Plains Alliance Interstate Feasibility Study, agriculture jobs, affect on GDP, and Travel Cost Savings were identified.

The Alliance is looking forward to an Interstate Feasibility Study to be completed for the seven northern states of the Alliance Corridor. Josh Winegarner, Director of Government Affairs, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, provided an excellent overview of the patterns of movement for Beef Cattle.

The Beef Lifecycle is not static! The beef lifecycle is a unique food production system. It takes anywhere from 1.5 to 3 years bring beef from pasture to plate. Top priorities for everyone in the beef supply chain include healthy animals, environmental care, and safe, nutritious, high-quality protein for consumers.

Texas is cattle feeding country in both west and south Texas.

Cattle feeding is not limited to Texas along the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. As the beef lifecycle moves forward, the movement of cattle is significant from country to country and state to state.

Hundreds of thousands of seedstock and cow-calf ranches breed cattle and raise calves. The cows nurse their calves and then calves graze on grass pastures with their mothers. From seedstock/cow/calf production, feeder cattle are transported several times. Cow/Calf ranches are located in all 50 states and are 95% family-owned.

The Alliance Corridor serves significant feedyards and packing houses which serve National and International markets.

Keep in mind these Policy Supports!

Phillip Riely, Mayor, City of Watford City, ND - Interstate Advantage

Nestled in the heart of the Bakken Formation, our city is more than just a dot on the map—we are a driving force behind American energy independence, a gateway to natural wonders, and a proud link in the chain that connects North America.

Watford City is also a critical junction in the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway—part of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor that links Mexico to Canada through the American heartland.

Upgrading these routes is vital—not just for oil and gas logistics, but for public safety, rural development, and cross-border trade. These corridors connect producers with processors, tourists with destinations, and communities with opportunity.

We’re not just an energy capital—we’re a tourism destination. With Theodore Roosevelt National Park just minutes away, and our rich heritage rooted in cowboy culture and western hospitality, Watford City welcomes visitors from around the world.