West Fargo planning commission forwards West 94 transportation study to City Commission

The West Fargo Planning & Zoning Commission voted Nov. 12 to forward a Metro COG‑led West 94 area transportation study to the City Commission for consideration, after hearing consultants describe interchange and overpass options, multimodal elements and funding challenges.

Consultant Mike Bittner of Fulton & Mink, who led the study, told commissioners the area south of Interstate 94 has “really become appealing because of the Red River diversion,” but added that “because of the Red River diversion, it's... almost impossible to access.” Using Metro COG’s travel‑demand model, the team estimated that — under the study’s density assumptions — the area could see as much as roughly 50% population growth by mid‑century.

Why it matters: The study lays out alternative access strategies and phasing scenarios meant to guide future growth and engineering work. Several options would involve multimillion‑dollar interchange or overpass projects; Bittner said total improvements across scenarios could exceed $400 million, and individual interchange projects could range from about $70–100…