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Commission creates Improvement District 2288 for 50 Second Avenue/Ninth Street West improvements; plans single‑lane roundabout
Summary
The commission voted 4‑1 to create Improvement District 2288 and approve preliminary engineering work for intersection improvements at 50 Second Avenue South and Ninth Street West. Staff said a 2021 traffic study recommended a single‑lane roundabout; the project received a HSIP grant covering 90% of estimated construction costs.
The West Fargo City Commission voted 4‑1 to create Improvement District 2288 and approve a task order for preliminary engineering for intersection improvements at 50 Second Avenue South and Ninth Street West.
Dan Hansen, city engineer, said the project traces to a 2021 corridor traffic study that recommended installing a single‑lane roundabout within five years to support growth in the Wilds development and an adjacent school. "That study recommended the single lane roundabout to be installed within the next 5 years," Hansen said, adding staff counted more than 200 pedestrians crossing the intersection during a May 2022 study.
Hansen said the city obtained a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant that would fund 90% of the estimated $2,260,000 construction cost (grant share $2,034,000) and reduce the local construction share to about $226,000. He said soft costs (engineering, geotechnical, legal and administration) are not covered by the grant and that the project is likely to bid in 2028. "We were successful in obtaining that extra additional funding," Hansen said.
Commissioners raised concerns about gridlock, pedestrian safety with potential two‑lane roundabout expansion, the need for fiber to support a future signal if warranted, and which parcels should be included in the assessment district. Hansen explained the design would likely begin as a single‑lane roundabout expandable to two lanes and that pedestrian crossings would be set back from the circulating lanes with possible flashing beacons to help crosswalk safety.
A motion to create the improvement district and approve the task order passed on a 4‑1 voice vote. The commission directed staff to continue environmental work, right‑of‑way work and prepare a feasibility/engineer report; staff said a later resolution of necessity and a new mailed notice and hearing would be required before assessments could be levied.
