Road Report: June 5, 2023

Construction season is here, so we’re back with our weekly look at what projects are done, where you’ll find traffic impacts and what’s scheduled next.

What’s underway

41st Street: The outside eastbound lane on 41st Street from Willow to Covell avenues closed Friday to allow crews to make improvements to the ADA accessibility in this area, including accessible curb ramps and sidewalks with corresponding driveway restorations and concrete curb and gutter repairs.  This is the next phase of a project to improve the ADA accessibility along both sides of 41st Street from Willow to Minnesota avenues. The entire project is anticipated to be completed in late August.

Minnesota Avenue: The outside northbound lane on Minnesota Avenue between Harpel Drive and Lotta Street closed Friday  to allow crews to perform work in the area. Work is expected to be completed today.

Shirley Avenue: Beginning at 7 a.m. today, access to Shirley Avenue north of 41st Street will be closed to allow crews to reconstruct Shirley Avenue from Shirley Place to 41st.

This closure is anticipated to be in effect through late June. Access for local businesses will be maintained.

41st & I-29: The overall project on 41st Street at Interstate 29 continues to make progress. Traffic is expected to be switched over to the new pavement on the south side of the bridge over I-29 in the next few weeks.

Underground utility work on the north side of 41st Street is complete east of I-29.

Gravel base has been placed, and paving will begin soon.  The overall project is still on track to be fully complete in late spring/early summer of 2024.

Minnesota Avenue: The permanent streetlights from last year’s project on Minnesota Avenue from Second to Russell streets are being installed finally after being delayed because of supply chain issues.

Intermittent lane closures on Minnesota Avenue will continue until all streetlights and other streetscaping elements are installed over the next few weeks.

What’s next

Cliff Avenue: Beginning today, the outside southbound lane and outside northbound lane of Cliff Avenue will be closed between 11th and 26th streets to allow crews to perform concrete milling and an asphalt overlay. In the upcoming weeks, the location of the lane closures on Cliff Avenue will vary. At a minimum, one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open at all times. Access to businesses will be maintained. This work is anticipated to be complete in mid-July.

14th Street: Beginning today, 14th Street will be closed near Fifth Avenue to allow construction crews to perform railroad crossing improvements. Motorists should utilize Seventh Avenue, 18th Street and Second Avenue as alternate routes. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Eighth Street: Beginning today, Eighth Street will be closed between Weber and Nesmith avenues to allow crews to work on underground utilities. Motorists should utilize 10th and 11th streets as alternate routes. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Grange Avenue: Beginning today, the southbound lane on Grange Avenue will be closed just south of 18th Street to allow crews to unload materials for a project on the Sanford USD Medical Center campus. Southbound traffic will be shifted to the center turn lane. This work is expected to be complete in about two weeks.

Western Avenue: Beginning today, Western Avenue will be closed from Sixth to Ninth streets from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow crews to perform road maintenance work. Traffic will be detoured around the work area.

22nd & Western: Beginning on Tuesday, the intersection of 22nd Street and Western Avenue will be closed to allow crews to perform concrete pavement repairs. No signed detour will be in place; however, motorists should utilize Grange Avenue or 26th Street as an alternate route. This work is expected to be complete in one day.

18th & Western: Beginning on Wednesday, the intersection of 18th Street and Western Avenue will be closed to allow crews to perform concrete pavement repairs. No signed detour will be in place; however, motorists should utilize Grange Avenue or 26th Street as an alternate route. This work is expected to be complete in one day.

Veterans Parkway: Beginning on Thursday, construction will begin on the first segment of Veterans Parkway from Cliff to Western avenues. This is a joint project between the city of Sioux Falls and the South Dakota Department of Transportation.  The first phase will start with the contractor hauling dirt and other materials for the road bed across Cliff at the Veterans Parkway intersection, which is just south of 77th Street along Cliff. Single-lane closures and temporary traffic signals at Cliff will be used to keep traffic flowing through the construction area. Traffic will be maintained to residences and businesses. This initial phase of work is anticipated to be completed by the end of July. The entire project between Cliff and Western is expected to be complete in late 2024.

S.D. Highway 38 corridor study: The South Dakota Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the cities of Hartford, Humboldt and Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, Sioux Falls MPO and the Federal Highway Administration will hold a public meeting open house to inform area residents about the beginning of the S.D. Highway 38 corridor study. The public meeting will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at West Central High School, 705 E. Second St. in Hartford. For those who cannot attend the open house or desire additional information on the overall study, the recorded presentation and open house displays will be available on the study website at sd38corridorstudy.com beginning that day.