Scary Moment: Speed Limits Don’t Matter On This Bismarck Road

A Scary Moment on Expressway this Morning

There's a stretch of the Bismarck Expressway in Bismarck where, for the most part, the speed limit is still optional. I've written several articles about a section of highway, how drivers are often clocked going 15, 20, or, in the case this morning, 50 miles per hour over the 55 miles per hour speed limit. This morning on the way into work, I had a motorcycle fly by me at an estimated 100 miles per hour. I was going 60, and I was preparing to pass another vehicle, when all of a sudden a motorcyclist raced by both us like he was driving in a NASCAR race. All I could think of was, where is a cop when you need one?

Again, the Speed Limit is 55 on this Road

I have noticed a few cop traps on this road since I've been exposing this speed demon stretch of road, but only a few times. The fact is, this stretch of road is DANGEROUS because some drivers feel the need for speed. I like to call this road Bismarck's version of the Autobahn. If you didn't know better, you would think you were driving somewhere outside of Berlin, Germany.

Why is it Infrequently Patroled?

For some reason, there are usually no police, highway patrol, or sheriff departments that patrol this stretch of road. If law enforcement patrolled it regularly, they would make a killing in tickets. Why is it so seldom patrolled?  I've been trying to figure this one out in my mind for quite a while, and I do have a theory. The shoulder of this road is very skinny.  A steel rail also separates the east and westbound portions of this highway.  I believe law enforcement officers think it's dangerous to pull people over.

Again, this is just a theory, and I know that the Bismarck Police Department at one time did indeed use this area as a speed trap more frequently.  They would have a squad car and gun vehicles on nearby Riverwood Drive. They would also have an unmarked vehicle on either the westbound or eastbound side of the road, and they would pull people over that way.  That was several years ago, however.

The Part of Expressway Where Speed Limits don't Matter

In case you haven't figured out what stretch of Bismarck Expressway I'm talking about, it's the extreme western portion. This stretch is also known as Interstate 194.  It begins at the intersection of South Washington Street, going west.

Here's a picture of Bismarck, North Dakota's version of the Autobahn.

Google Maps Screenshot

The highway/interstate where speed limits are made up, and laws don't matter.  The way some people drive, it can be a dangerous spot.  Once again, you have been warned.