Dan Farnsworth MetroCOG Transportation Planner

Moorhead City Council 

Nancy Edmonds Hanson 

Interstate Exit 1B, better known as I-94’s 20th Street interchange, may be getting an update in years to come, depending on upcoming discussion by the Moorhead City Council.

Dan Farnsworth, transportation planner for MetroCOG (the Metropolitan Council of Governments), and Wade Frank of consulting firm Stantec presented the results of preliminary research, public input and discussions among the area’s stakeholders at the council’s regular meeting Monday evening. He detailed the process that began in 2023 at the request of Moorhead’s governing board. The city contributed 20%, or $30,000, toward conducting the $150,000 study, which analyzes the feasibility of converting the partial interchange (now with ramps only to and from the west) to a full interchange also accessible to and from the east.

The study set out to review existing and future traffic conditions, existing constraints (including rail lines, property impacts, bridge lengths, utilities and estimated costs) and to develop a full interchange alternatives at the heavily traveled location near M State, Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church, several industrial businesses and the BNSF rail line that parallels 20th Street to the east.

A majority of Moorhead residents who took part in two public meetings and online surveys favored a full intersection, Farnsworth said. The surrounding commercial entities were also queried. “Members of the public also mentioned the need for improvements on 20th Street itself,” he added, “including better land assignment and easier traffic flow.”

Fifteen interchange alternatives were initially considered. That was narrowed down to five based on technical considerations. The two deemed most feasible were presented at the later hearing , then narrowed down to five alternatives, and finally narrowed to two for the second public hearing last spring. Each has an estimated cost of $33.9 million.

“There is no preferred alternative,” the traffic planner cautioned. “The city will review them and decide whether it’s worth pursuing a full interchange based on the cost, effort and potential benefits. If they move forward, it’s up to them to decide whether to invest in the project and, if so, which alternative to build.”