Drivers who use 5th Street and Front Avenue in Bismarck are set to find a different setup starting Tuesday, Oct. 27. The City of Bismarck says the traffic signal there is planned to be powered down that day and replaced with an all-way stop for a trial period of several months.
The details
- Where: the intersection of 5th Street and Front Avenue, just south of the BNSF railroad crossing
- When: planned to begin Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026
- How long: a trial of "several months," according to the city's Oct. 23 announcement
Why the change
The signal is old. The city's traffic engineer said in the announcement that city records show it was installed in 1978, "well beyond the typical life of most traffic signals, which is about 30 to 40yrs."
A road construction project is planned for parts of Front Avenue and 5th Street in 2027, and the city says permanent changes to the intersection will come with that work. As part of that project, the signal will need to be either replaced or removed. The engineer also said current traffic volumes "are not close to satisfying the federal criteria needed to install a traffic signal."
The city says a study comparing the two setups found an all-way stop produced shorter lines of vehicles and shorter waits than the signal.
What the city will watch
During the trial, the Engineering Department plans to review any crashes at the intersection. It will also work with BNSF Railroad to see how traffic moves after trains clear the crossing just north of the intersection. If southbound traffic backs up from Front Avenue onto the tracks, the city says it will consider other options, such as letting north-south traffic flow freely and putting stop signs on east-west traffic.
Before you go
If the change goes ahead as planned, expect to make a full stop in every direction starting Tuesday. The start date is "planned," so check the city's news page for any change.
Sources: https://www.bismarcknd.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/9100
