8 AF Chief of Safety helps find gate traffic solution Published Feb. 26, 2014 By Public Affairs Office Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Anyone familiar with Minot Air Force Base has likely experienced traffic build up at the main gate. Sometimes it occurs because the gate is closed due to an exercise, other times it may be because one or more of the other gates are closed, but many times the only reason is traffic congestion. It is not an uncommon sight to see traffic spilling out onto the highway forced to a halt for more than half a mile. Efforts are currently underway to improve the flow of traffic, thus making a safer morning commute. In the meantime, leadership is promoting use of the North Gate to ease traffic elsewhere. The 5th Bomb Wing Safety Office took advantage of a Feb. 3-7 visit by Col. Kevin Raybine, Eighth Air Force Chief of Safety, to highlight the issues with the Minot Gates. Raybine came to Minot principally to visit the 5 BW Safety Office, see the 5th Bomb Wing mission up-close and hand out annual awards to Minot Airmen. While here, he received a tour of the Minot AFB gates from Mr. Dan Heald, 5th BW Safety Technician and Lt. Col. Chris Heim, 5th Bomb Wing Chief of Safety. Heald used the tour to highlight first-hand the flow of traffic on to base to Raybine. The main issues Heald emphasized were the traffic congestion that occurs on Highway 83 during the morning rush and how traffic stopped on Highway 83, especially in adverse weather, affects the safety of Minot Airmen. Other issues highlighted were the compounding effects of when the Minot Gate is closed, the dangers of the intersections, and the impacts of illegal U-turns just north of the Magic City gate. Heim discussed a plan to reconstruct all three gates that is currently competing for funding at Headquarters Air Force. The cost of the three projects is currently estimated to exceed fifteen million dollars. Heim asked Raybine for his advocacy in supporting the projects. Though it may take a while to fix the problem entirely, Heim, Heald and the rest of the safety team are looking for temporary solutions to the morning gate traffic situation. For starters, efforts need to be made to encourage motorists to use the North Gate more often rather than plugging up the Magic City Gate, said Heim. The North Gate is open during the peak hours, 6-8 a.m., Monday through Friday. Using the North Gate may save time when compared to waiting in line.