I-94 Gridlock Sparks Outrage and Humor: NDDOT Promises Changes After Unprecedented Delays
BISMARCK, N.D.-
Frustration reached a boiling point on I-94 over the past few days as traffic ground too a halt, trapping drivers for hours in what is typically a swift five-minute commute between Bismarck and Mandan.
“I was like, oh my god,” shared Mandan resident Karen Summers. “I tried every route. Rosser, Main Street, Expressway. Still backed up. I sat there for an hour and a half. You can’t turn around, you can’t go anywhere.You just gotta deal with it.”
Though, not all drivers could simply “deal with it.”
“Cars were taking U-turns, people were cutting in. It was dangerous,” recounted Autumn Sheetz. “I was anxious.People were acting like they had to be faster than everyone else,and it made things worse.”
At the peak of the congestion, some drivers resorted to backing up on on-ramps to escape the standstill.
As traffic crawled westbound on I-94, social media platforms became a canvas for shared frustration and a wave of biting humor.
Screenshots of posts flooded Facebook and X, featuring sentiments like:
“Shoutout to NDDOT for turning a 10-minute commute into an emotional growth journey.”
“Bismarck Airport now offering flights to and from Mandan.”
“I’m offering Uber pontoon transports between Bismarck and Mandan this week.”
While humor served as a coping mechanism for some, the reality of missed appointments and late arrivals to work was far from amusing for others.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation acknowledged the severity of the situation,admitting the outcome was not as intended.
“The longer merge taper was supposed to help,” explained Larry Gangl,NDDOT’s Bismarck district engineer. “Instead,people slowed down and even stopped,which backed everything up. It’s the longest backup we’ve ever seen on one of our projects.”
Gangl confirmed that crews worked through the night to dismantle traffic controls at critical choke points.
“What you saw last night was unacceptable,” he stated. “Many of our own staff were stuck in that traffic. We’ve made changes so it won’t happen again.”
The project, a chip seal designed to preserve pavement and prevent future potholes, is scheduled to continue through July 25. Though, officials assure that future delays are expected to be minimal.
The NDDOT is also undertaking related work on a stretch in Mandan and at the Expressway interchange in Bismarck.
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