Drivers in Fargo vent their frustration on Main Ave construction

Drivers in the Fargo-Moorhead area will spend the next year and a half dealing with almost bumper-to-bumper traffic during road construction season.

“Horrible, just horrible,” Ms Mims said from the passenger side of a vehicle she was traveling in between 4th St. and Main Ave.

Work began Wednesday at 9 a.m. on Main Ave, and by the look of rush hour traffic Thursday, many people didn’t get the memo and develop alternate routes.

“They need to do something about this. We’ve been here for 20 minutes,” Mims said.

Construction on Main Ave is being done in two phases with the first phase expected to be finished by mid-October. The entire project won’t be completed until the fall of 2020.

Others driving along that same road tried to remain calm.

“I don’t mind,” Sam Hoff said. “I’m from Seattle, we have bigger car jams than this.”

“It’s a beautiful sunny day. I have the sun roof open and I’m enjoying the weather,” Beth Anderson said. She’d also been stuck in traffic for 20 minutes.

Many of the people we spoke with who were stuck in traffic expressed frustration with the intersection of 4th St and Main Ave.

“Look at the light,” Mims said. “If it ain’t the light, it’s the train.”

A few blocks away, the Fryn Pan Family Restaurant is smack in the middle of the project’s first phase.

Road closure signs start on 4th St. and extend into Moorhead.

Employee Dale Idso said the impact around supper time is really noticeable because the restaurant is normally full.

"Somebody may try to come in the back way here, and that's the only way to come in right now really,” Idso said. “How are you going to find the Fryn' Pan? I don't know.”

Some employees are having to add an extra 30 minutes to their commute to get to work on time.

“Probably five miles out of my way just to get here, through an old route I used to know,” Idso said. “So whatever it takes to make your money and pay your bills.”

The Fryn’ Pan and other businesses in the area are banking on their regulars showing up despite bottleneck traffic.