Fargo staff present three designs for 64th Avenue interchange; residents press for 76th alternative

City staff and consultants on Monday reviewed design alternatives for a proposed interchange at 64th Avenue and I-29, and said the commission will be asked in roughly two weeks to select whether to advance a build option.

Tom Nockwis introduced the project’s long timeline, tracing right-of-way acquisition and corridor studies back to 2006–2008 and noting that the interchange was reprogrammed from 2025 to 2028 after changes in ND DOT funding. He said the city’s intent, if commissioners select a build alternative, is to continue design work with a target of starting construction in 2028.

Mike Bittner, a consultant with Bolton & Menk, presented three concepts: a loop/diamond configuration with a signal on one side and a roundabout on the other; a two-roundabout design that performed best on safety metrics; and a diverging-diamond option. Bittner said the roundabout-heavy concept produced the largest reductions in fatal and serious crashes in national studies and offered slightly better delay and safety performance, but that each concept carried trade-offs in right-of-way impact and cost.

Staff and the consultant described expected costs and funding: adding ramps to the existing 64th Avenue overpass was estimated in the discussion at roughly $25–30 million, with about $20 million anticipated from federal funds; by contrast, starting the interchange program at 76th Avenue (where no overpass exists) would likely be a much larger investment, the staff estimate said, on the order of $70–100 million.

Commissioners questioned lane needs, whether the existing overpass must be widened or paired with a second bridge, and whether frontage roads would be appropriate to protect properties whose driveways currently front 64th Avenue. Nockwis said all alternatives require additional bridge infrastructure and that staff tested roundabouts on the existing one-lane bridge but found performance problems beyond 5–10 years.

Several nearby residents urged the commission to prioritize an interchange at 76th Avenue rather than 64th. Rob Cost, who identified himself as a 64th Avenue resident, said the street already feels unsafe for pedestrians and families and warned that daily traffic could grow from about 4,000 vehicles now to 12,000 if ramps are added. "This isn't a place for this high volume — we need stoplights, speed bumps or something to slow it down," he told the commissioners.

Dr. Walter Samuel, another nearby resident, also urged the commission to consider 76th, saying the additional traffic at 64th would imperil children and the neighborhoods that line the corridor. City staff acknowledged the neighborhood concerns and said public engagement (open houses, postcards to property owners and follow-up meetings) is ongoing.

Staff told commissioners that consultants have modeled 2050 peak-hour scenarios and that adding ramps at 64th would help alleviate operational problems now experienced at 52nd Avenue South, where a southbound off-ramp routinely backs up onto the mainline of I-29 and creates safety concerns. The staff recommendation is to return with a preferred alternative and full materials to answer outstanding questions; the commission agreed to consider that recommendation in about two weeks.

The meeting produced no final vote on a build option. Next steps announced by staff: answer commissioners’ technical questions, provide a comparative analysis with a 76th Avenue alternative if requested, and return with a recommended preferred alternative for formal action.