I-94 reopened from Jamestown to Fargo; Official reports decent roads but long stretches of glare ice

The North Dakota Department of Transportation along with the North Dakota Highway Patrol have opened Interstate 94 from Jamestown to Fargo and I-29 from Grand Forks to Fargo. The portion of Interstate 29 from Fargo to the North Dakota/South Dakota border remains closed at this time.

NDHP Sgt. Tom Herzig said roads are pretty decent. Travel speeds are 50 to 70 mph on I-94, but cleared areas have long stretches of glare ice and the strong northwest wind is a concern. He emphasized that drivers should not use cruise control.

Motorists should be aware of the following warnings still in effect:

· No Travel Advisory is still in effect for areas south of Fargo including Wahpeton and Lisbon.

· Travel Alert remains in effect for areas in eastern North Dakota including Grand Forks, Valley City, Wishek, Ellendale and surrounding areas due to icy conditions from compact snow. Drivers should use extreme caution while traveling in these areas.

· ND 13 from Wahpeton to I-29 remains closed at this time.

· I-29 in South Dakota remains closed from ND/SD border to Watertown.

· I-94 in Minnesota from Moorhead to Alexandria remains closed at this time.

For road information, call 511 from any type of phone or go to the website: www.dot.nd.gov.

NDDOT releases information to inform the public about travel conditions throughout the state. The three categories are as follows:

1. Travel alerts are issued to alert motorists that areas of challenging winter driving conditions may be encountered on roadways. Conditions are such that motorists can still travel; however, they should be aware that rapidly changing conditions may result in travel delays due to reduced speeds and visibility.

2. No-travel advisories are issued when conditions warrant no travel but not a road closure. No Travel Advisories have the potential to change to a Road Closure if conditions deteriorate. No-travel advisories are issued for public safety to encourage motorists not to venture out onto the roads. Motorists should take no-travel advisories seriously. Conditions change often during a storm event and motorists may become stranded if they are caught between destinations.

3. Roads are closed when conditions create a life-threatening danger to motorists. The roadway is impassable and it is against the law to drive past a road closure device on a closed road. Motorists should obey road closures, even when a sign or a gate is not present.

Road condition information on 511 and the travel map is updated daily from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. CST. The road report is based upon the information available to the NDDOT at the time of preparation and is provided solely as a public service. Conditions may vary from those reported.

Tags: local news, news, updates, travel, snow