Senator Cramer visits construction work on the South Ring of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Project on schedule for visitors in 2025

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MEDORA – For the past five years, a six-mile section of the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) has been closed due to sinkholes and landslides that eroded the road and made it impassable for residents and visitors. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) visited the park Wednesday to view the progress of reconstruction efforts and other improvements.

“What I find most impressive is the incredible care that went into both the planning and the technical implementation. That is very impressive, but then there is the execution of the project, which in my opinion achieves two things,” said Cramer. “It preserves the integrity of the infrastructure that keeps travelers safe and allows them to visit this spectacular place. And more importantly, it preserves the integrity of the natural beauty that travelers come to see. It’s a huge step forward and I look forward to seeing it all completed sometime next year.”

In addition to repairing the eroded sections of road and improving stormwater drainage, the loop will feature expanded sidewalks, wayside seating and exhibits, and newly paved pullovers when it reopens. The construction project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, and the road will reopen to visitors by summer 2025.

October 2019

August 2024

In October 2019, then-US Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt visited the TRNP with Cramer to learn about the need for infrastructure repairs and the experiences the park has to offer. In 2020, Cramer co-sponsored the Great American Outdoor Space Act (GAOA), A bill that President Donald Trump also signed contained the Restore Our Parks Acta bill to eliminate the backlog of maintenance work on federal territory, including the TRNP. After the adoption of the GAOACramer announced that the South Loop Drive will be completed with funds from GAOAIn total, TRNP requested $47 million in federal funds for the repair project.