Metro COG presents railroad crossings study, recommends grade separations at four West Fargo locations

Metro COG and consultant HDR presented an informational railroad crossings needs study to the West Fargo City Commission, outlining preferred improvements at four West Fargo crossings and noting BNSF provided the local match for the project.

Project manager Dan Bergeson said the study evaluated 15 locations across the metro and scored alternatives using criteria that weighted project benefits, emergency access and community impacts. He said 26th Street NW scored highest across the study area; the selected alternative for that location is a six‑lane structure over the railroad with a shared‑use path for pedestrians and bicyclists, designed to remove the at‑grade crossing and match projected traffic from nearby developments.

Bergeson described the preferred solutions for three other West Fargo crossings: a new structure at 15th Street to improve mobility in a constrained business area; an overpass at 9th Street NW (with an underpass considered as a lower‑cost alternative that would require raising vertical clearance); and an overpass at Center Street to reduce vehicle strikes at that location. He said overpasses tend to be preferred by the railroad but acknowledged higher cost compared with underpasses.

Ben Griffith of Metro COG said Metro COG and local partners conducted outreach including stakeholder and study review committees, pop‑up events and public meetings in both Fargo and West Fargo. He also said BNSF agreed to provide the local match for the grant, which relieved jurisdictions of normally required local contributions.

The commission treated the presentation as informational only; no action was taken. Commission members thanked the presenters and had no formal questions that led to policy direction during the meeting.