05/02/2025
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, under U.S. Coast Guard authority, has created an idle speed only and navigational safety zone near an ongoing bridge construction project on the Missouri River.
This summer will mark the start of an idle speed only area and a navigation channel around the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad bridge project. The navigational channel will be marked with green and red floating buoys to direct the public to the navigable area through the construction zone.
Additionally, the project area will be marked with multiple types of lighted floating buoys and encloses an area from the west bank north of the project staging area, to the east bank, and then following the east bank south approximately 1,500 feet and back to the river’s west bank.
The “No Boats” buoys are located north and south of the active construction barges and have yellow flashing lights for nighttime visibility. The solid, white light “Idle Speed Only” buoys indicate where the idle speed zone starts and operate day and night.
The cautions are in place to protect people and boat traffic during the construction project and operate during the open water months on the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan. Also, river users operating paddlecraft, such as canoes and kayaks, are encouraged to exit the river upstream or downstream of the navigational safety zone.
A violation of the regulatory buoys is subject to a fine under North Dakota Administrative Code.
