BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – There are many busy intersections in Bismarck, and some are getting busier as the city grows. That led city engineers to make some adjustments, like removing traffic signals or changing the location of stop signs. However, one resident said a change had made their road more dangerous.

It was the intersection of Tyler Parkway and Country West Road that changed last year. It used to be a two-way street on Tyler Parkway; now those stop signs are on Country West. A nearby homeowner said he has seen an increase in speeding since the change.

Video from Shawn Schmidt’s home on Tyler Parkway shows motorcycles speeding down the road posted at 25 miles per hour. Schmidt said the problem is becoming more common, especially since the stop sign changed.

City Engineer Gabe Schell said the change was made because Country West used to be the busiest road, but now it’s Tyler Parkway. He said the city conducted a speed study before and after the adjustment.

“And then when we reversed the stop signs in 2023, we also looked at the speeds to see if that actually changed anything. According to this analysis, no speeds were different north or south of the intersection,” Schell said.

Schell said he received a comment about traffic issues on Tyler Parkway and saw how the wide-open road could encourage some speed, but long-term goals for the road could help reduce the problem. There are plans to connect Tyler Parkway through Tyler Coulee, from Valley Drive to Cogburn Drive and the Elk Ridge Subdivision.

“So we don’t want to make that connection through the pour and have a bunch of traffic show up and then have other problems to solve. So we’re trying to anticipate what some of these issues might be before they’re even necessary,” Schell said.

As part of this project, engineers will examine existing segments of Tyler Parkway, from Century Avenue to Valley Drive and from Cogburn Road to Ash Coulee Drive, for safety or operational improvements.

Bismarck Police say they have received a traffic complaint in this area and their traffic section is following up and implementing special enforcement measures in these areas as weather permits.

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