Author Topic: North Dakota State Highway 46 (Northern Tier)  (Read 5715 times)

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Offline Ty0604

North Dakota State Highway 46 (Northern Tier)
« on: June 14, 2022, 02:17:26 pm »
I just finished crossing North Dakota, the last of the contiguous 48 states I needed to cross by bike.

I rode from Glendive, MT to Moorhead, MN on the Northern Tier route.

State Highway 46, between Enderlin and Kindred, is the worst stretch of road I’ve ever ridden on! Narrow two lane highway with a lot of traffic. Mostly semis and farm equipment. No shoulders and where the shoulder does exist, the rumble strips go all the way across it. 55-65mph speed limit.

I don’t know of any alternatives in the area aside from going back to I-94 but if I did the Northern Tier again I wouldn’t ride this stretch.

Jason, the guy who runs the Honey Hub in Gackle, has been tryin to get the state to improve 46. There was a cyclist fatality west (I believe) of Gackle on 46 several years ago.

Also, the 12(?) mile stretch of I-94 east of Glen Ullin has rumble strips that go almost all the way across the shoulder. There’s a narrow 6-12” strip you have to ride. I would also look for an alternative route here.
Instagram: tyjames0604

WI—>WA—>CO—>TN

Offline Buddy_Hall

Re: North Dakota State Highway 46 (Northern Tier)
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2022, 04:35:08 pm »
I rode that stretch last year while doing the Northern Tier E to W.  I agree it's not a good design.  It's not the worst stretch of road I've ever ridden, but it's definitely not the best for cycling.  I have video that includes some commentary about the road here at the end of this day's journal entry; https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/warriordeath1/day-48-fargo-nd-to-enderlin-nd/ . It sounds like I had better traffic conditions than you experienced - I would recommend anyone riding it to leave very early to get ahead of the traffic. 

Offline Ty0604

Re: North Dakota State Highway 46 (Northern Tier)
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2022, 07:41:50 pm »
I rode that stretch last year while doing the Northern Tier E to W.  I agree it's not a good design.  It's not the worst stretch of road I've ever ridden, but it's definitely not the best for cycling.  I have video that includes some commentary about the road here at the end of this day's journal entry; https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/warriordeath1/day-48-fargo-nd-to-enderlin-nd/ . It sounds like I had better traffic conditions than you experienced - I would recommend anyone riding it to leave very early to get ahead of the traffic.

I was wondering if the eastbound side had a better shoulder than the westbound side.

Do you remember any issues with 94 east of Glen Ullin? Also curious if the eastbound side was better than the westbound side.
Instagram: tyjames0604

WI—>WA—>CO—>TN

Offline ggwbikemt

Re: North Dakota State Highway 46 (Northern Tier)
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2022, 01:42:44 am »
Eastbound I-94 between Glen Ullin and New Salem has similar concrete rumbles that the west bound side has. It was North Dakota standard Interstate highway rumbles used on highways reconstructed in the 1990's and early 2000's.  Morton County turned Old US 10 into a gravel road a long time ago in this area and there are no other paved east-west roads between ND 200 30 miles north and ND 21 35 miles to the south.