The morning is a time for students to collect themselves before school starts. The one time of the day where they can zone and just drive to school. Earlier this month students were surprised though to find their normal route to school closed off and in effect had to sit in backed-up traffic that made some late to their classes.
“I live in Horace so the main town roads to get into town are Sheyenne and Veterans Boulevard,” junior McKenna Ohm said. “I believe the need to close part of the road off a couple weeks before school gets out wasn’t necessary considering the amount of students who take that road every day.”
Moore Engineering is heading the project and their plan is to widen the road from a two-lane rural section into a four-lane divided urban section.
“The new surface will be paved using concrete and both cities of West Fargo and Fargo will be installing water main and storm sewer facilities in their respective corridors,” Professional Engineer with Moore Engineering Dustin Scott said. “These utilities will serve the surrounding developments and improve drainage along the Veterans Boulevard corridor.”
Scott said that widening the roads will cut down on traffic and provide a better and safer road for all who use the road. Along with these changes are new signal improvements being made at the intersection of 32nd Avenue and 40th Avenue. A new traffic light will be installed at 36th Avenue as well.
“It [the closing of Veterans] does bother me because of all the traffic and slow drivers,” junior Tyler Thorsteinson said. “I hate slow drivers.”
The construction project is planned to occur in two phases. Phase One has already begun with closed traffic from 32nd Avenue to 36th Avenue. Phase Two will be effective as of June first and consists of closing the remaining corridor south to 40th Avenue. Moore Engineering plans on keeping the intersections at both 40th and 32nd open east to west with only temporary delays as they come up.
Scott said that the road is planned on being re-opened by August 15th, 2013, but parts of the road will be continually worked on until October 15th.
With some students not being entirely thrilled with the added obstacles in the morning, some are still aware that this is needed in the long-run.
“The time difference may not be that different but the inconvenience to get into town will get worse as they continue to section off the Veteran’s Boulevard closer to town,” Ohm said. “With all West Fargo Public Schools linked on Veterans Boulevard the need for expanding the road is essential but the chosen time to start the construction wasn’t thought over very well.”