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Commissioners hear county engineer on Trunk Highway 197 roundabout, staging and access concerns
Summary
Beltrami County engineers updated commissioners on the Trunk Highway 197 project and proposed roundabouts in the area near Target and local schools, describing construction staging, temporary bypass options and potential impacts on ball-field parking and school traffic.
Beltrami County commissioners heard a briefing from county engineer Bruce Halsbarger on the Trunk Highway 197 project and related city roundabout work, including staging plans and land needs for temporary traffic bypasses.
The county engineer summarized his involvement and said the city’s proposed roundabouts “didn’t include many changes to the county legs of those intersections,” but that county staff have stayed involved as construction staging and the use of county roads have been planned. He told commissioners he supports the project as designed and can answer questions from the board.
Why it matters: commissioners pressed on practical impacts — particularly at the intersection near 20 Third Street and Bridal School Road adjacent to a middle school and ball fields. Commissioner Carlson voiced community concern, saying, “citizens are getting a little roundabout fatigue… it seems like they’re trying to build a roundabout to solve a 45 minute problem a day during school days only.” The exchange highlighted trade-offs between peak-period safety/flow and overall cost and property impacts.
County staff and commissioners discussed construction staging and temporary bypasses. Halsbarger said using county-owned land (including a ball-field quadrant) and school property for temporary east–west bypasses was part of a proposed staging plan, and that constructing temporary bypasses increases cost and can prolong the construction season. He noted the city planned to complete the roundabout by Target first, then proceed to the southern intersections, which would allow businesses to be served from the north during phases.
Commissioners asked about tournament and school-season timing. One commissioner raised concerns that cutting off ball-field parking during tournaments could create safety risks, noting the potential for vehicles driving close to active fields. Halsbarger recommended the county allow the city and project team to coordinate closely with the school and youth-league organizers on scheduling and traffic routing rather than imposing a specific calendar date restriction, because piece-by-piece construction with temporary bypasses lengthens the overall time required.
Staff present for the project included county engineer Bruce Halsbarger and project manager Shane Foley; the city engineer Sam Anderson was not present. Commissioners did not take formal action in the work session; staff said they would continue coordination and bring any easement or acquisition requests to the board for formal consideration.
Looking ahead: the board indicated it wants continued updates on staging plans, parking impacts during tournaments, and any formal easement or land-acquisition requests that would require a board decision.
