The North Dakota Department of Transportation officially kicked off its 2026 construction season at an event on May 21; a season the agency said will consist of work on approximately $700 million in highway system projects statewide.
[Above photo by North Dakota DOT]
Speakers at that news event included Matt Linneman, deputy director for engineering at North Dakota DOT; Russ Hanson, executive vice president at Associated General Contractors of North Dakota; and Major Tom Iverson with the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
Major road construction projects around the state include: the 42nd and DeMers underpass in Grand Forks; U.S. Highway 85 reconstruction south of Watford City; Memorial Highway in Mandan; and I-94 reconstruction east of Bismarck.
“We’re have a wide range of construction and maintenance projects planned this season to enhance safety and improve our transportation system,” noted North Dakota DOT’s Linneman in a statement.
“With work underway in many areas, we’re asking motorists to stay alert, slow down, and help keep everyone safe in and around work zones,” he said.
“Construction zones require everyone’s patience and focused attention,” stressed Major Iverson. “Those cones and barricades are protecting people who are doing their job to improve roadways, and they deserve our respect for their safety to get home at the end of the day.”
Several state departments of transportation have outlined their 2026 construction plans in recent months.
For example, in late March, the Utah Department of Transportation made public their plans to start work on 176 new construction projects this year, worth $2.8 billion – all in addition to the ongoing work on 57 current projects.
Concurrently, the Ohio Department of Transportation kicked off a record-breaking $3.4 billion construction season that includes a total of 977 new projects. For the 2026 season, 739 bridges and approximately 4,562 miles of roadway are set for improvements, with 174 safety projects also set to begin, the agency said.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans to work on more than 400 highway improvement projects during the 2026 construction season, including finishing up the rebuild of I-41 in Milwaukee County; reconstruction of WIS 21 between Omro and Oshkosh; and reconstruction of the I-39/90/94 bridges over the Wisconsin River in Columbia County.
And the Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to work on more than 200 projects this season to improve state roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure, along with another 51 projects aimed at improving airports, water ports, railroad crossings, and transit systems.
