A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 24-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to designating Stutsman county road 62 as part of the state highway system.
Summary
SB 2391 would have required the director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation to designate Stutsman County Road 62, from the junction of State Highway 46 to Interstate 94, as part of the state highway system. In practical terms, the bill would have moved responsibility for that roadway segment from county-level control into the state highway network.
The measure is narrowly focused on a single road segment in Stutsman County and does not create a broader policy program. Its effect would have been to alter the legal status of the roadway under North Dakota Century Code chapter 24-01, which governs the state highway system and related transportation administration.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would have amended state law by adding a new section to chapter 24-01 of the North Dakota Century Code and directing the state to absorb Stutsman County Road 62 into the state highway system. That would likely affect maintenance, jurisdiction, and funding responsibilities for the road, shifting them from county authorities to the state transportation system for the designated segment between Highway 46 and I-94.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have had limited support and was ultimately unsuccessful. On second reading in the Senate, it failed by a wide margin, with 3 yeas and 43 nays on February 11, 2025. Because there were no committee transcripts provided, the available record suggests little public debate in the materials supplied, but the vote indicates strong opposition or lack of consensus.
Contention
The main point of contention was likely whether a county road should be elevated into the state highway system, which can implicate state costs, maintenance obligations, and jurisdictional control. Opponents may have viewed the proposal as an unnecessary expansion of the state system or a shift of local infrastructure costs to the state, while supporters likely saw it as a way to improve management of a roadway with regional or interstate significance. The decisive floor vote suggests the proposal did not persuade a majority of senators.