Red River South Trail and Shared-Use Path

Background

The Red River South Trail project is part of a broader initiative to provide walking and cycling opportunities for all users throughout Fargo, ND. The project area spans River Drive South from University Drive to Harwood Drive. As part of the flood control efforts, levee systems have been constructed throughout the project limits. In order to provide a scenic opportunity for the users and create a safe, off-road facility the project looked to design and construct a new shared use path along the Red River, separated from the roadway by the levee system.

The Project

The project included the environmental document, design, permitting and construction of a 10′ wide, concrete, shared use path meeting current ADA and bicycle standards. The path provides off-road recreational and mobility opportunities for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized users. The alignment of the path required careful consideration for constructability and preserving the existing environmental features throughout the corridor. This included meandering the path around trees and wetlands to minimize impacts as well as minimizing grading to avoid impacts within floodway of the Red River. The project also incorporated four crossings of the existing levee system to provide connectivity. Design of the crossings required geometric considerations to maintain ADA compliance as well as geotechnical considerations to ensure the path does not compromise the existing flood control features. Due to funding, the construction of the project was completed in two phases with the first phase constructed in 2024 and the second phase constructed in 2025.