Major road projects ahead for 2024 construction season

Construction season is ramping up fast, and there’s a lot of work planned for the coming year.

The city of Sioux Falls has started some road projects already and will begin many others in the weeks ahead.

“It’ll be one of our larger programs,” director of public works Mark Cotter said.  “Not only do we have a large program but so does the (South Dakota) Department of Transportation in the area.”

While there are many projects underway and coming up, there’s one thing city crews haven’t seen much of this year: potholes.

“We’ve gotten very few requests,” Cotter said. “We’re staying up on any of them we get, but we’re doing a lot of other activities like removing thousands of yards of silt from the river. Normally, we’re running around the clock with pothole crews, and we’re not having to this year. The roads are in good shape.”

And they’re about to be in even better shape. Here’s a look at some of the key projects for the season.

Diverging diamond interchanges

The city’s first diverging diamond-style interchange is on track to be done the first half of this year at 41st Street and Interstate 29.

The second one, which will be at Interstate 229 and Benson Road, is under construction and scheduled to be done next year.

“That one’s also going really well,” Cotter said. “You can just really see those large regional transportation projects that support all the growth and development that’s happening.”

Late this year or early next year, the plan is to bid the next diverging diamond interchange at 85th Street and I-29.

“Get ready for learning how to drive through a diverging diamond,” Cotter said. “They’re very safe, they’re very high capacity, and we’re going to have three of them in Sioux Falls in a very short time.”

South Veterans Parkway

The multiyear Veterans Parkway enters year No. 2 with completion of the section between Cliff and Western avenues ahead. So far, there has been grading, some bridge work and some of the pedestrian tunnels constructed. The six-lane road will be paved, and there also will be improvements on Western Avenue, including a roundabout at 95th Street.

“That will just really help the circulation, help tie the corridor into the intersecting arterial streets,” Cotter said.

It’s scheduled to be mostly done by later this year, and from there it’s on to the next two-mile stretch, which hasn’t been finalized yet.

Sixth Street bridge

Work has continued through winter on the downtown Sixth Street bridge, which is scheduled to wrap up later this summer.

“It’s just timely to do it with two really strong, large developments built right next to it,” Cotter said. “You also see the River Greenway project, the Jacobson Plaza improvements coming, and so I think everyone’s excited to see the private development work get done, Sixth Street get done and the first real quiet-zone infrastructure get built.”

It will still take additional improvements at other intersections before the quiet-zone designation could be considered, which would limit the noise of train traffic.

Benson Road bridge

Work already has started on Benson Road east of Minnesota Avenue to Fourth Avenue, where the city is rehabilitating the bridge.

“That concrete didn’t last as long as we wanted it to,” Cotter said. “Working in close coordination with the Department of Transportation, we’re going to deliver that project and get it rehabbed and really build a bridge that needs to last for 75 years.”

Traffic is detoured from Benson to 60th Street North from Minnesota and Cliff avenues. Businesses on the bridge’s east side will maintain access via Benson from the east.

The recreation trail under the bridge also be will be removed and replaced. The road is expected to reopen late this year with the full project opening in 2025.

East 10th Street

Get ready for improved pavement on East 10th Street, which will be under construction with an overlay this year from I-229 to Sycamore Avenue.

“That road’s tired,” Cotter said. “There’s some minor widening we are going to need to do, but we’ve already bid that project, and by the end of this season … ADA ramps will be upgraded, and there will be new surface on that stretch of road.”

An additional lane will be added from I-229 to Thompson Avenue to add capacity.

Work is scheduled to start in May and go through the fall.

Minnesota Avenue 

ADA-driven work on Minnesota Avenue will go from 18th to 33rd streets throughout the construction season, involving sidewalk replacement and curb repairs. Traffic will be impacted throughout the season at various times.

Sycamore Avenue

Concrete repairs will be made along the stretch of Sycamore Avenue from Arrowhead Parkway to Madison Street. Work will start this spring and is planned to go through November.

Sertoma Avenue

The segment of Sertoma Avenue from 26th to 41st streets is slated for an asphalt overlay starting later this summer.

By the blocks

Hundreds of other city blocks will see additional improvements including:

• 215 blocks of overlay.
• 400 blocks of slurry seal.

“It’s a robust year,” Cotter said. “We’re fortunate we have such a strong local capacity of contractors that time and time again bid our pavement work as well as our utility and bridge work.”

To see a complete map of city projects, detailed explanations and sign up for updates, click here.