The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently released the latest episode in its “State DOT 2-Minute Update” video series, this one profiling Ron Henke (above), director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
In the video, Henke shared the progress achieved by his agency on a major infrastructure priority: expanding Highway 85 to four lanes, achieved in part due to an additional $155 million in funding from the state legislature.
North Dakota DOT is working to complete the 80-plus mile corridor from Highway 200 to Williston—an area vital to North Dakota’s oil production. The project is designed to improve safety, reduce congestion, and separate slower-moving oil traffic from general motorists along this heavily traveled route through the Badlands and surrounding areas.
Named director of the agency in 2022, Henke originally joined North Dakota DOT in 1990, serving as director of operations and project development; deputy director of engineering; and other capacities including design, construction, planning and programming. As deputy director of engineering, he oversaw operations, project development, pre-construction, construction and maintenance.
Henke – a North Dakota native, having grown up on a farm in the central part of the state – earned bachelor’s degrees in construction management and construction engineering from North Dakota State University. He is a registered professional engineer in North Dakota with a background in field construction, planning and programming of projects, project budgeting, environmental document preparation, and plan development.
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