River Road In Bismarck Closure: What Drivers Need To Know

A section of River Road in Bismarck, North Dakota will be closed for about two weeks for railroad bridge construction.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The city of Bismarck has announced that a portion of River Road near the BNSF railroad bridge will be closed starting Monday, February 23rd, 2026 for approximately two weeks. The closure is to allow for preparation work and overhead beam installation for a new railroad bridge over the Missouri River. No official detour route will be provided, but drivers may be able to use Burnt Boat Drive and Fraine Barracks Road as an alternative route.

Why it matters

The new BNSF railroad bridge is part of a larger infrastructure project that is about 75% complete and expected to be finished by late summer 2026. The closure will impact drivers, as well as pleasure boaters and fishermen who will have to slow down in the construction zone until the new bridge is operational. Once complete, the old 1883 bridge will be removed, which is expected to cause additional delays.

The details

The River Road closure in Bismarck began on Monday, February 23rd, 2026 and is expected to last around two weeks. The closure is near the BNSF railroad bridge to allow for preparation work and overhead beam installation for the new railroad bridge over the Missouri River. No official detour route will be provided, but drivers may be able to use Burnt Boat Drive and Fraine Barracks Road as an alternative.

  • The River Road closure began on Monday, February 23rd, 2026.
  • The closure is expected to last approximately two weeks.

The players

City of Bismarck

The city government of Bismarck, North Dakota, which announced the River Road closure.

BNSF

The railroad company overseeing the construction of the new railroad bridge over the Missouri River in Bismarck and Mandan.

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What’s next

Once the new BNSF railroad bridge is completed by late summer 2026, the old 1883 bridge will then be removed, which is expected to cause additional delays for drivers and river traffic.

The takeaway

This road closure is part of a larger infrastructure project to replace the aging railroad bridge over the Missouri River in Bismarck. While the closure will cause temporary inconvenience for drivers, the new bridge will ultimately improve transportation and river access once the project is fully completed.