Additional I-94 and Sheyenne Street interchange ramps open to motorists

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) two-year Interstate 94 (I-94) and Sheyenne Street interchange reconstruction project is nearing completion. Once work is complete within areas of the southwest quadrant and southbound Sheyenne Street future driving lanes, traffic will shift, and additional interchange ramp connections, will open to drivers.

Weather permitting, crews anticipate the change in traffic control to occur between Sunday, September 29 to mid-next week. For motorists the upcoming traffic shift will:

• OPEN - new southwest loop on-ramp for eastbound I-94. Southbound Sheyenne Street drivers will no longer use the temporary ramp for access.
• OPEN - new southwest off-ramp. Motorists will split at the bottom of the ramp for northbound and southbound Sheyenne Street traffic.
• OPEN - northwest loop off-ramp to southbound Sheyenne Street traffic only.
• NEW TRAFFIC MOVEMENT- northbound Sheyenne Street drivers wishing to go west on I-94 will access the new northwest on-ramp by crossing southbound Sheyenne Street traffic by use of a signal system.
• ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION - Sheyenne Street drivers will remain in a single lane of traffic on their respective sides north and south under the I-94 bridge between Beaton Drive to Christianson Drive.

I-94 drivers will remain head-to-head in the westbound driving lanes of the interstate until the end of next week. Once traffic splits drivers are carried back on their side of travel, traffic will remain in a single lane for the next few weeks as work continues west of the new bridge on I-94. This is needed to allow crews to perform preventive maintenance work on the existing surface of the interstate and replace sections of concrete to improve the driving surface of I-94 west of the new bridge to the exit ramp. Once this work is complete, traffic will resume as normal on I-94 with two driving lanes in each direction.

“The interchange is the first of its kind in North Dakota so until you’re familiar with driving the corridor, it will be important to drive with focus as we all learn to navigate the new interchange design together,” said Joe Peyerl, Assistant Fargo District Engineer. “A large majority of the travel will remain the same. What has changed is that northbound Sheyenne Street traffic flow never stops. Southbound traffic and interstate ramp traffic are guided effortlessly through the interchange by the use of medians and a single traffic light system.”

What will change?

Eastbound I-94 to Northbound Sheyenne Street

• Northbound Sheyenne Street traffic is stopped at the signal light at the base of the off-ramp
• Northbound Sheyenne Street traffic crosses southbound driving lanes through the raised center median
• Northbound Sheyenne Street flowing to westbound I-94 crosses through center median area under the bridges

Westbound I-94 to Southbound Sheyenne Street

• Expanded loop ramp will have two lanes of traffic at the base of the ramp
• Traffic signal will show no right turns on red

Northbound Sheyenne Street to I-94 Westbound

• Northbound Sheyenne Street traffic must move to far-left turn lane
• At traffic signal northbound Sheyenne Street crosses the southbound driving lanes under the bridge to the on-ramp
• Two westbound I-94 on-ramps merge together

Southbound Sheyenne Street to I-94 Eastbound

• Southbound Sheyenne Street traffic must move to far-right lane
• Southbound Sheyenne Street traffic is guided by signal light to new southwest loop on-ramp to eastbound I-94

What will remain the same? 

I-94 traffic flow over the Sheyenne Street bridges

Northbound Sheyenne Street and I-94 Ramp Access

• Northbound Sheyenne Street remains in a continuous flow
• Northbound Sheyenne Street traffic uses dedicated right turn lane to eastbound I-94 on-ramp
• Exiting westbound I-94 traffic merges into northbound Sheyenne Street flow

Southbound Sheyenne Street and I-94 Ramp Access

• Exiting eastbound I-94 traffic merges into southbound Sheyenne Street flow
• Southbound Sheyenne Street traffic uses dedicated right turn lane to westbound I-94 on-ramp

“The I-94 and Sheyenne Street interchange was originally constructed as a two lane rural, county road. With increased development, came increased traffic pressure over the past few years. We needed to find a better interchange design to handle these peak hour traffic flows and better safety for all modes of travel through the corridor”, said Peyerl. “This new design is called a modified single-point urban interchange, which will move double lanes of traffic through one stoplight in the middle of the interchange when complete at Sheyenne Street exit.”

What are the new interchange design benefits?

• Reduced rush hour congestion – Sheyenne Street will be three driving lanes in each direction with dedicated turn lanes
• Increased capacity – Interchange will now have larger loop ramps to help prevent backups on the interstate and two new, wider bridges on I-94 to allow for more Sheyenne Street driving lanes
• Improved roadway drainage – Upgrades were made to the area lift station, storm sewer and city utilities
• Increased pedestrian and driver safety – New design offers better traffic signal spacing, center medians for divided roadway and under interstate ramp box culverts north and south of the interchange

Drivers will still notice construction activity through the interchange while crews complete turn lanes, medians, sidewalk, decorative railing, streetlight bases and curb and gutter over the next few weeks.