Save the Date: May 6 Western Roads Event

An event that will bring together oil industry trucking interests and county and tribal road managers to discuss ways to improve the movement of oilfield traffic will be held May 6 in Halliday.

WDEA is teaming up with the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and its Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) to host a roundtable discussion at the new Dunn County highway shop in Halliday. The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. MDT and will feature a variety of topics aimed at improving communication between industry and the counties, and improving the efficiency of operations for both.

Among speakers confirmed thus far are Lt. Governor Brent Sanford and NDDOT Director Bill Panos. Other portions of the agenda are still being finalized, according to LTAP Director Dale Heglund, but he said road and bridge construction and maintenance needs will be at the top of the list.

"We'll describe needs specific to western North Dakota, whether it be roads, bridges, culverts or repairing frost boils," Huglund said, "and we expect frost law seasonal road restrictions to be a topic as well.

WDEA and LTAP are working on a research effort that uses temperature and moisture sensors embedded in gravel roads to get a better handle on the rate at which roads firm up after the spring thaw, possibly reducing the period of time in which restrictions are in place.

The roundtable will also feature panel discussions about the oil industry's future and the ways in which local government can assist.

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