The NDDOT opened the newly reconstructed Oriska Rest Area on Thursday, October 1. This $10 million project replaces the former building and upgrades the parking lot to better accommodate travelers along Interstate 94 by offering several new amenities including: 

• Four sheltered picnic tables
• A courtyard
• A walking path
• A dog park
• 25 truck parking spaces  

To support travelers of all abilities, the rest area also includes an adult changing station and other accessibility-focused features. 

“This project is a significant investment in improving the experience for people traveling along I‑94, especially the freight haulers who rely on safe and accessible places to stop,” said NDDOT Maintenance Division Director Brandon Beise. “The new facility provides modern amenities, more space, and a welcoming environment for travelers.” 

The interior design was developed through a partnership with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the North Dakota Department of Commerce and the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The goal behind this new and improved rest area was to create a true welcome center for visitors traveling across the state. 

If you find yourself traveling on Interstate 94 and need to stretch your legs, consider stopping at the rest area located two miles east of Oriska at mile marker 304.

The NDDOT Highway Safety Division's “Love” motorcycle safety campaign earned a 2026 international American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) award for an overall communications campaign with a budget under $50,000!  

The campaign paired riders’ love of the open road with a simple reminder: Protect what you love by riding prepared.  

Messages encouraged riders to wear protective gear, follow traffic laws and complete a motorcycle safety course.  

Running June through August 2025, the campaign generated more than 3.7 million impressions across digital advertising, Meta and YouTube, sharing motorcycle safety reminders with riders and their loved ones throughout North Dakota.

Robin Rehborg accepted the award on behalf of NDDOT at AAMVA's Annual International Conference in Rhode Island.

Congratulations to the Highway Safety Division! 

This fall, the Human Resources Division has been on the road connecting with hundreds of students across North Dakota and neighboring states to showcase the many career opportunities available at NDDOT.  From middle and high schools to colleges and universities, the HR team is helping students discover jobs, internships, and career pathways that match their interests and skills. 

The team’s main focus is students interested in what they call T4 - tools, trades, torque, and tech fields. NDDOT outreach has included local T4 school events in Dickinson, New Town and Bottineau, along with college career fairs at Bismarck State College, South Dakota School of Mines, South Dakota State University, University of Jamestown, University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, Montana State University, and the University of Mary. We are also attending high school career fairs in Minot, Grand Forks, and Bismarck. When asked, they also visit individual classrooms as well. 

“We make these visits as hands-on and interactive as possible, giving students opportunities to try bridge building, explore 360-degree career videos, learn what a day in the life of an NDDOT employee looks like,” said talent acquisition manager Lynn Spomer. She, Mary Grund and Mallory Sheldon do most of the career fair visits.  

They also encourage students to visit our new careers page, dot.nd.gov/careers.
They talk with students about the education, skills, and experience needed for different positions and the internship opportunities available to help them get started. 

“Our goal is to show students that NDDOT is much more than engineers and snowplow drivers,” Spomer said. From mechanics, equipment operators, and engineering technicians to program management, environmental science, communications, business, and many other fields, NDDOT offers career opportunities for people with a wide variety of interests and skills. 

“By connecting with students early, we hope to help them see how their interests can lead to meaningful careers while building awareness of the many ways they can help keep North Dakota moving.”

Recently, the NDDOT Highway Safety Division partnered with the North Dakota Association of Counties to host Impact Teen Driver’s Be the Change training for Vision Zero outreach coordinators. The training was led by Martha Tessmer of Impact Teen Drivers, who became a passionate traffic safety advocate after losing her 16-year-old son, Donovan, in a preventable car crash. 

Be the Change is a peer-to-peer traffic safety program designed to empower students to take an active role in improving traffic safety within their schools and communities. Rather than simply telling students what not to do, the program encourages them to identify risky driving behaviors, develop solutions, and use positive messaging and activities to influence their peers. 

The training provided Vision Zero coordinators with tools and strategies they can bring into Vision Zero schools across North Dakota. By giving students a greater voice in traffic safety efforts, Be the Change provides another opportunity to build a culture of safe driving among young drivers and passengers while supporting North Dakota’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating motor vehicle crash fatalities and serious injuries.