West Metro Perimeter Highway Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

As the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area continues to grow, traffic volumes continue to increase on the interstate system (I-29 and I-94), as well as other urban corridors.  A perimeter highway could alleviate traffic volumes through the Fargo-Moorhead metro area, cut down on trip lengths and travel times, and provide alternate routing options.  As part of Metro COG’s Interstate Operations Analysis, a preliminary look at projected traffic volumes on a west metro perimeter highway found that this corridor would be one of the most heavily traveled highways in Cass County.

In addition, land acquired for the FM Area Diversion project could potentially be used to implement portions of a west metro perimeter highway.  With unused land being placed on the market in the near future, it is imperative for this study to analyze whether a west metro perimeter highway is warranted and feasible in the near and/or long-term horizon.

The objective of this study is to analyze the need and feasibility of a west metro perimeter highway, develop layouts, alternatives, planning level cost estimates, determine needed right-of-way, and develop an implementation strategy.

PROJECT TIMELINE

• August 2023 – Project kickoff
• August 2023 – December 2024 – Project development
• February 2025 - Draft plan complete
• April 2025 – Final plan adopted