Once the snow has stopped, the digging process begins

Bismarck, North Dakota – For most of North Dakota, the snowfall may have stopped, but the leftover snow will continue to cause problems for locals and drivers at least through the weekend.

By Friday noon, US Highway 52’s eastbound and westbound lanes from Harvey to Jamestown, US Highway 83’s north and south lanes between Bismarck and Washburn, and Interstate 94’s east and west lanes between Dickinson and Jamestown had all reopened, according to the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

In the meantime, due to the weather and road conditions, the North Dakota Highway Patrol has prohibited the movement of any oversize loads statewide until further notice.

To maintain access to major thoroughfares and emergency routes, Bismarck street crews have been working around the clock. Due to the pouring snow and strong winds throughout Thursday, many roads seemed to fill up quickly after crews passed through.

At one in the morning on Friday, Mandan personnel began plowing again while also working the main highways and emergency routes.

Shoveling or snow blowing through the heavier-than-typical snow mounds blocking the ends of driveways left by city plows as they worked the streets is the major issue for many residents in the area.

On Wednesday, there was a period of freezing drizzle that made driving challenging. It resulted in a series of collisions that shut down I-29 and Interstate 94 in eastern North Dakota for a period of time on Thursday morning and Wednesday night, respectively, and totaled a state trooper’s vehicle.

Thursday began with snow and wind, which persisted all day long until late in the evening when they eventually abated and ended.