Century Avenue is a major east-west arterial road.
Two shopping centers, Gateway Mall and Pinehurst Square, along with Century High School are along the route. It bisects several major intersections and makes up part of the State Street Corridor.
Between roughly the 1980s-2000s, Century marked the unofficial boundary of northern Bismarck, with little development to its north. In fact, the land containing Century High School wasn’t annexed until the early 1970s.
Over the course of decades, Century was upgraded to 4-5 lanes in sections, beginning with a small stretch near Gateway Mall.
Timeline
1992: Four lanes State Street to Washington
1995: West Century rerouted and extended to Tyler Parkway, four lanes between Washington and Tyler
1997: Four lanes State Street to Iowa Lane
2007: Bridge over Hay Creek and railroad tracks completed; also expanded to four lanes between Iowa and the new bridge
2011: Four lanes to Centennial Road