Commission creates improvement district and approves preliminary design task order for 50 Second Avenue roundabout project, 4-1

The West Fargo City Commission voted 4-1 on Feb. 3 to create Improvement District 2288 and approve a task order for preliminary engineering to pursue intersection improvements at 50 Second Avenue South and Ninth Street West, a project the city plans to build as a single-lane roundabout expandable to two lanes.

Dan Hansen, city engineer, summarized the project's history, citing a 2021 traffic study that recommended a single-lane roundabout within five years to serve growing traffic from the Wilds development and an adjacent school. He said a 2022 pedestrian crossing study counted over 200 pedestrians at the crossing.

Hansen said the city applied for and received a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant that would fund 90% of construction costs. The project's estimated construction cost at application was $2,260,000; the HSIP grant would fund $2,034,000, leaving a $226,000 local construction share. Soft costs not covered by the grant — geotechnical work, engineering design, legal and administrative costs — would remain part of the local share and could be assessed to properties in the improvement district.

Hansen noted the commission previously paused an earlier district (No. 2276) after neighborhood opposition and that commissioners had installed an interim unwarranted four-way stop. He said the interim control makes applying for DOT funding problematic because the stop is not a warranted design; the HSIP funding was awarded with the roundabout submittal and would need to be used accordingly.

Commissioners asked about pedestrian performance, capacity, gridlock concerns, fiber requirements for signals if a future signal is installed, and whether the district map should include nearby parcels that currently access Cheyenne Street by driveway. Hansen said the immediate design intends a single-lane roundabout with provisions for future expansion to two lanes and that pedestrian crossings would be set back from the circulating roadway with options such as rapid-flashing beacons.

Hansen said bidding likely would occur around 2028, and additional environmental work, right-of-way acquisition and a feasibility report are needed. He also said the city has $250,000 per year in the 2024 CIP for citywide fiber looping projects to support future signalization if warranted.

Commissioner Olsen moved to create Improvement District 2288 and approve the task order; Commissioner Zundell seconded. The motion carried 4-1.

Hansen added the project team will return with a feasibility study, engineer's report, and a resolution of necessity and will again solicit written protests and provide final cost estimates before construction.