As of this past Aug. 25, however, U.S. Highway 2 became known for a very important achievement -- four lanes extending from Williston to the Minnesota border, thus ending a 30-plus year pursuit to expand and improve the original two-lane roadway.
Congressional and state representatives, along with numerous area residents, enjoyed some congratulatory pats on the back Thursday as the formal ribbon cutting for the completed project was held at mile marker 34 about 14 miles north of Williston. Many of the group attending the ribbon cutting then returned to Williston to share the story of the project during a celebratory luncheon at the El Rancho.
Williston's Dr. Brad Bekkedahl served as president of the Communities for a Modern Highway 2 group as the final stages of the four-lane project were completed. Bekkedahl introduced the guest speakers at Thursday's luncheon, during which he shared insights regarding their contributions to the project.
Bekkedahl said he first visited with Gov. John Hoeven about the project when Hoeven was still working at the Bank of North Dakota. From that initial conversation, Bekkedahl said, "I knew right then and there if John Hoeven ever became governor, we would get Highway 2 done." "It really was fun to be out on a four-lane Highway 2 to cut the ribbon this morning," Hoeven said in leading a cheer as he started his remarks.
Hoeven said the desire to complete the effort in five years instead of the typical 10 years was indeed accomplished. "Across the state by 2008" was a slogan the project carried as constructing the final 97 miles to create the four-lanes began in 2004.
"Mayor Ward Koeser has been just a lion for working on this project, along with Dr. Brad Bekkedahl," Hoeven said. "No question he had a passion for his project, along with Mayor Koeser."
Hoeven was a junior in high school when the statewide committee was formed in 1973 to promote the conversion of the original two-lane highway into four lanes. Bekkedahl and Koeser visited him at the Bank of North Dakota in 2000 and talked about what it would take to get the project going to complete the final 97 miles of four lanes.
There were environmental and economic impact studies that had to be done to get federal approval for the project, Hoeven said. The economic analysis was obviously more challenging than it would be today because the project got going before things got rolling in the energy patch, he added.
A key to the project, however, was getting the 2003 Legislature to issue bonds to help finance the project, which allowed it to be completed in five years.
"That has saved the state a tremendous amount of money," he said.
Seeing four lanes now stretch across the northern third of the state is a reflection of "northwestern North Dakota taking a big step forward," Hoeven said. "To all of you who helped to make it happen, great job."
Construction on the final phase of the four lanes that involved 29 total miles from nine miles east of Stanley to eight miles east of Berthold began early this past June. Bekkedahl said in introducing Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., that Dorgan produced the key turning point for completing the four lanes when Dorgan arranged a meeting in Fargo with representatives of the Association of General Contractors, the Highway 2 committee and then U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater.
The meeting occurred during what Dorgan described as an "unbelievable blizzard" that socked people in Fargo for a few days.
Dorgan shared that before numbers were assigned to national highways, "they just put names on the highways, " which is how U.S. 2 got the Roosevelt designation.
"You all know more than I do how long you have waited," Dorgan told the luncheon audience about the completion of the four lanes.
He said the state's overall congressional delegation has worked very hard in recent years to get a good formula for funding highways in the state.
"This region of North Dakota deserved this project. This region needed this project," Dorgan said.
A 20-mile stretch of new lanes from about 13 miles north of Williston to Ray opened on July 16, 2007, which left the final gap between Stanley and Berthold. Creating four lanes from Williston to the Montana border is on hold until Montana begins construction of four lanes.
In introducing Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Bekkedahl said he once went to talk about financing issues with Conrad.
"They worked so hard for us and they worked as such a tandem," Bekkedahl said of the state congressional delegation.
Conrad said Dorgan really provided the impetus for finishing the four-lane project.
"It did take that persistence and that passion to get the project done," Conrad said.
In 2002, Conrad chaired the Senate Budget Committee, which put him at the table to negotiate the highway funding bill. His being on the conference committee also provided hands-on involvement as differences are negotiated between the Senate and the House.
"If you are at the table, you get a better result than if you are out of the room," Conrad said of conference committee work.
The delegation worked to secure $100 million for the project, or 80 percent of the funding. He said some of his colleagues say such funding is pork barrel spending.
"I don't think so," Conrad said, as the completed infrastructure allows the region's oil reserves to be tapped more efficiently and effectively.
Bekkedahl said a major accomplishment in completing the project is, "We have improved the (traveling) safety tremendously in my mind."
He said northwest region representatives tried to get to Washington, D.C., once a year, during which it brought a book that outlined the issues for the region. During those early visits with the book, Highway 2 was the top priority, as Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., knows well.
Fondly calling Bekkedahl "Four-lane Brad," Pomeroy said getting four lanes completed on Highway 2 "was a matter of will, and it was a matter of wallet."
The completed four lanes provides a "vision of one North Dakota" that's connected, Pomeroy said.
"This should really be called the 'Persistence Highway,'" Pomeroy said. "It's the artery to a great energy future for northwestern North Dakota."
Francis Ziegler, director of the state Department of Transportation, was originally the design engineer for the four-lane project.
"This is truly awesome," Ziegler said of finishing the project. "I am so proud of the (state) crew."
Getting federal approval for the project was assisted when Ziegler took some federal officials for a ride on the remaining two-lane portion of the roadway in the spring. As the contingent came upon large pieces of ag equipment traveling on the roadway, the federal representatives became concerned for their own safety, Ziegler said. That also seemed to convince the feds of the need for the improvements.
Meanwhile, David Sprynczynatyk was the state DOT director when the final four-lane project was being conceived. He credited Hoeven with taking a bold new approach to financing state highway projects by selling bonds.
"North Dakota had never borrowed before," he said of getting financing for road projects.
Securing the financing allowed the project to get done in five years, he said.
"I have never worked with a group of finer professionals dedicated to the people of North Dakota than the highway department," he added.
Sprynczynatyk is now major general of the North Dakota National Guard and reminded the audience of Highway 2's tie to the 164th Engineering group.
A brief history published for Thursday's luncheon states Grand Forks, Devils Lake, Rugby, Minot, Stanley and Williston all had representatives on the original four-lane committee that was formed in 1973.
From 1980-89, the state went through tough financial times and the project was killed, but then it was revived in the late 1990s, the history states.
The expansion covered the administrations of five governors -- Art Link, Allen Olson, George Sinner, Ed Schafer and Hoeven.
Gary Sukut served as president of the committee until 1997, when Bekkedahl accepted the position. Clarence Wehrmann was treasurer and Dick Ross was secretary, while Jerry Peterson also was integral to the committee.
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