With a population of about 150, the town of Medora in southwestern North Dakota might seem an unlikely focal point for major transportation improvements. However, heavy tourist traffic — driven largely by the town’s historic ties to President Theodore Roosevelt — has created the need for infrastructure upgrades.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and general contractor Ames Construction are addressing those needs through the Medora Business Loop and City Section project, which is designed to better accommodate traffic flow through the community.
Roosevelt, who served as the 26th president from 1901 to 1909, forged a lasting bond with the region during his time in the North Dakota Badlands. That connection lives on today through Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located just outside Medora.
In summer 2026, the town will open the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. According to the library’s website, the team behind the $400 million project aims to “build an awe-inspiring, architecturally significant destination that works with, not against, nature.”
These attractions, along with others in the area, make Medora a popular tourist destination.
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“There’s great fluctuation of traffic on the loop depending upon the time of year,” said NDDOT Assistant District Engineer Jason Fischer, who is overseeing the project. “We see lots of tourists during the summer.”
In 2025, the average daily traffic on the 3.2-mile Medora Business Loop was 7,150, and it is projected to rise to 12,150 by 2045. There is also a significant amount of pedestrian traffic along the loop.
“We knew there was lots of concerns with pedestrian traffic in the area that we wanted to also address with the project,” Fischer said. “So, with the increased amount of tourism traffic anticipated in Medora, this project took shape to address both the vehicular traffic as well as the pedestrian traffic.”
An additional factor driving the project is the need for a roadway overlay.
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Fischer and NDDOT expect the project will improve safety, traffic flow, and pedestrian access along the Medora Business Loop.
Major components of the project include:
- Roundabout installation: At the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Chateau Road, the team is installing a roundabout. Previously, it was a regular T-intersection with a stop sign. When there were events in the area, traffic clogged up both before and after. The roundabout will provide higher capacity, improve traffic flow, and accommodate the traffic volumes during peak times.
- Bridge widening: The 560-mile-long Little Missouri River runs through the area. Currently, the bridge is two lanes. The team is adding a third lane for left-hand turns and a 10-foot shared-use path on both sides. Previously, there was a path on one side. NDDOT added the path on the other side due to high pedestrian traffic. The second path will keep people from having to cross the road.
- Roadway upgrades: The team is performing a mill and hot mix asphalt overlay over the entire 3.2-mile loop. They are also installing decorative lighting and landscaped medians in some areas to improve the aesthetics.
- Pedestrian accessibility and ADA enhancements: The team made upgrades to the sidewalk facilities for ADA accessibility. They also put in some bulb-outs and clearly marked crosswalks, along with adding continuous sidewalk on both sides of the street.
“We did this throughout the city area to try to help calm traffic and provide safe routes for people to be able to walk across the street safely,” Fischer said.
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At the same time as the current project, NDDOT reconstructed Chateau Road (a standalone project). The goal was to improve the grading, as it was very steep.
“We wanted to flatten the grade and add a three-lane section so that emergency vehicles could pass through,” Fischer said.
One of the primary reasons this project is occurring is the new library, which is set to arrive in summer 2026. This project is scheduled to wrap up in June 2026, about a month before the library opens.
Fischer pointed to the tight building schedule as the project's biggest challenge.
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“We needed to widen the bridge first so that the roadway sections could tie into the new bridge,” Fischer said. “In order to stay on schedule, we needed to perform that substructure work during the winter months of the 2024 and 2025 construction season.”
The planning would have been for naught if the contractor had not built time into their schedule for procuring the steel beams for that bridge. Because of this, the team received them on time.
The bridge remained open throughout construction. Traffic was rerouted to the widened section while the team removed the entire bridge deck from the original bridge and replaced it with a new deck.
Once the widening was done, the team removed the deck all the way down to the steel beams and poured a new bridge deck onto the original bridge. However, they kept the same substructure and steel beams for the original bridge.
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The deck pour was conducted in late October under cold conditions and required enclosures and careful heating to ensure proper cure of the new bridge deck.
Working during the winter months in North Dakota can be challenging. However, the team has performed structural work during the winter months in the past.
“We keep small areas warm using tarps and different enclosures,” Fischer said. "It requires careful planning to make sure that you have a good system in place and that you're monitoring those temperatures.”
Traffic maintenance along the Chateau Road intersection while the roundabout was being installed was also a challenge. The team had limited right of way. Careful planning and organization were required to complete the work while live traffic was present. The team completed the work over several phases.
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Since Medora is a major tourism hub in North Dakota, construction in town was limited to the non-tourist season.
“That restriction also required a lot of detailed planning and coordination to make sure that we could get everything done in town in that short time frame to be ready for the completion date,” Fischer said.
Ames Construction, founded in 1962 and with over 4,000 employees, is headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota. The company partners with NDDOT regularly.
“Ames has done a good job of scheduling and coordinating with us, the community, and the stakeholders,” Fischer said. “They communicate well and are willing to discuss and resolve issues before they turn into problems.”
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He added that Ames does high-quality work, keeps a clean job site, stays organized, and stays on schedule.
Ames teamed up with several local contractors to help complete the project.
The project's construction budget is $28.4 million. It is currently on budget, which Fischer attributed to limited change orders, careful planning, and good plans. The federal government is paying 80 percent of the tab, and the state is picking up the remainder.
Construction on the project began in fall 2024, and it is expected to be completed in June 2026. Fischer credited this to thoughtful scheduling and effective communication.
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When the Medora Business Loop and City Section project is complete, traffic will flow more smoothly through town, particularly at the Chateau Road intersection. Pedestrians will also enjoy safer crossings and upgraded aesthetics.
- Owner: North Dakota Department of Transportation
- General Contractor: Ames Construction, Burnsville, Minnesota
- Designer/Engineer: Civil Science, Lehi, Utah
- Other Contractors: Winn Construction, Dickinson, North Dakota; Denny’s Electric, Dickinson, North Dakota; J&L Steel Erectors, Savage, Minnesota; Northern Improvement, Dickinson, North Dakota; Traffic Safety Services, Bismarck, North Dakota
