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Little Missouri River Crossing EIS

Billings, Golden Valley, and McKenzie counties, ND

The Little Missouri River Crossing Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was initiated to meet multiple socio-economic demands, such as fire management and industry (agriculture, oil and gas, and recreation/tourism), in Billings, Golden Valley, and McKenzie counties. The Federal Highway Administration, North Dakota Department of Transportation, and Billings County are leading the project along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service acting as cooperating agencies. The project also involves numerous federal, state, local, and tribal entities taking part in the project as participating agencies.

The proposed project consists of a crossing of the Little Missouri River in conjunction with upgrading existing roadways and/or creating new roadways to connect the transportation network on the east side of the Little Missouri River to the transportation network on the west side of the Little Missouri River, from ND Hwy 16 to US Hwy 85, within the designated study area. The proposed river crossing may be one of a variety of river crossing types, including concrete planks at stream bed elevation, a low water crossing, a box culvert, an arch structure, or a bridge.

The proximity of sensitive areas, such as the Elkhorn Ranch Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, has raised concerns among non-profit organizations and other interested parties. KL&J has, and is continually working, on bridging the gap between stakeholders and concerned individuals to reach a general consensus about the project and its development. Part of this process has been undertaken by taking a stance that environmental documents should be reader-friendly documents that are easily understandable and accessible to the public. This has been done by creating a storybook format for the EIS and complimenting it with graphics to make the document visually appealing and aid in the understanding of complex concepts. The concept of reader-friendly environmental documents is a relatively innovative idea within the state of North Dakota, with KL&J pioneering the first reader-friendly EIS in the state by producing the Little Missouri River Crossing EIS.