Lane reduction planned on U.S. Highway 281 South in Jamestown

The outside northbound lane on U.S. Highway 281 South in southwest Jamestown will close at 4 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, from 20th Street Southwest to 4th Avenue Southwest and 12th Street Southwest. The lane reduction is scheduled to last throughout the day until the work is finished, putting one of Jamestown’s busiest north-south corridors under tighter traffic flow near the bottom of Mill Hill.

The closure will affect drivers moving through the southwest side of town, where Highway 281 carries commuters, deliveries, emergency traffic and trips to local businesses. Because the city sits at the intersection of Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 281, even a short work zone on this stretch can ripple through nearby intersections and slow traffic during busy periods. Motorists traveling past 20th Street Southwest, 4th Avenue Southwest or 12th Street Southwest should expect delays and build in extra time.

Jamestown’s Engineering Department is responsible for overseeing public works and coordinating infrastructure repair and construction projects across the city, and the lane reduction fits a pattern of recurring work on the corridor. On Feb. 6, the city posted a separate alert for a southbound lane reduction on Highway 281 South from 18th Street Southwest to one block south of 20th Street Southwest near the Interstate 94 bridge. The repeated notices underscore how often the route is used as both a local street and a regional connector.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation advises travelers to check ND Roads and North Dakota 511 for real-time road conditions, construction updates and closures before heading into southwest Jamestown. With summer traffic already moving through the city and the Mill Hill approach narrowed to one lane on the northbound side, drivers are likely to see the most delay where Highway 281 funnels traffic closest to the work zone.