Road Report: April 8, 2024

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

Lewis Avenue: Lewis Avenue closed on the south side of Benson Road on April 4 to allow crews to install underground utilities and perform grading work as part of the Benson Road and Interstate 229 interchange project. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained on Benson throughout the project. Lewis north of Benson remains open. Lewis south of Benson is expected to reopen to traffic in early May.

Sixth Street: Sixth Street from Weber Avenue west to the bridge over the Big Sioux River closed on April 5 to allow crews to continue working on reconstructing this segment of Sixth Street. Access to LSS and Cherapa II is available from the west on Sixth from Phillips Avenue over the newly reconstructed bridge. The recreation trail under the bridge will remain closed until later this spring, and the current detour remains in place. This project is expected to be complete later this year.

Benson Road bridge: Work continues on the Benson Road bridge over the diversion channel just east of Minnesota Avenue. Removal of the old bridge deck is nearing completion.

After the removal is complete, the contractor will begin to install the falsework, or temporary forms, to hold up the bridge deck and provide reinforcement until after the new concrete is poured and achieves the necessary strength.

Benson Road will reopen to traffic in November, but all work won’t be fully complete until next spring.

Veterans Parkway: A lot of work is happening on Veterans Parkway between Cliff and Western avenues.

Work is focused on two main areas: the bridge over 85th Street just east of Minnesota and on underground utility installation on Western between 95th Street and County Road 106.

Part of the new bridge deck was poured late last week using concrete pump trucks to pump the concrete onto the bridge.

The bridge deck is reinforced with stainless steel bars, which are more resistant to corrosion than normal steel reinforcement bars.

Underground utility work also is in progress along Western Avenue.

There are two crews working on sanitary sewer installation.

Water main and storm drainage pipe also will be installed ahead of grading and paving operations later this year.

The intersection of 95th and Western will remain open until after school is out for the summer.

Work is expected to be complete in November.

What’s next

The following work will begin today:

• Minnesota Avenue: Traffic on Minnesota Avenue south of 85th Street will be transitioned to the east half of Minnesota to start the reconstruction of the Veterans Parkway intersection with Minnesota.  One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained during construction. Work within the Minnesota Avenue intersection is expected to be complete in about two months.
• 33rd Street: Crews will begin working on concrete repairs on 33rd Street between Cliff and Blauvelt avenues. Traffic will be maintained throughout the project.  This work is expected to be complete by the end of April.
• 18th Street: 18th Street will be closed between Grange and Lake avenues to allow crews to install underground utilities. Traffic will be detoured to 22nd Street. This work is expected to be complete in about three weeks.
• Louise Avenue: Traffic on Louise Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction between 90th and 95th streets to allow Xcel Energy to work on installing new electric facilities. This work is expected to be complete in August.
• Dakota Avenue: Dakota Avenue will be closed between Sixth Street and Main Avenue to allow crews to perform concrete repairs. This work is expected to be complete in about two weeks.
• 41st Street: Eastbound traffic on 41st Street will be reduced to two lanes between Louise and Kiwanis avenues to allow crews to perform utility work. Kelley Avenue also will be closed at 41st. This work is anticipated to be ongoing until it is complete, with traffic control being removed for the morning and evening commutes.
• Madison Street: Madison Street will be closed between Dubuque Avenue and Veterans Parkway to allow crews to perform utility work. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.
• Interstate 90: Crews will be inspecting several bridges on Interstate 90 in Sioux Falls. Lane closures will be in place for approximately one mile between the Interstate 29 interchange and Cliff Avenue, from mile markers 397 to 398. For the inspections, a lane closure is planned for the passing lane on eastbound I-90 and for the driving lane on westbound I-90. The lane closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Traffic delays are expected during the inspections and lane closures. Motorists are encouraged to find alternate routes. In the case of inclement weather, the inspections will be completed Tuesday.
• Interstate 29: An inside median lane closure is planned for the northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 29 from 41st to 49th streets. This lane closure will be in place for one week to allow crews to conduct maintenance work at 49th.

Minnesota Avenue: Beginning Tuesday, the outside northbound lane and the outside southbound lane on Minnesota Avenue will be closed intermittently from Russell Street to Benson Road to allow crews to perform storm drainage repairs. Traffic will be maintained in the inside driving lanes. This work is expected to be complete in about four weeks.

Navigating south Sioux Falls

As you’ve likely noticed, many of the road projects underway will impact traffic in south Sioux Falls. Here’s what the city suggests:

Alternate routes:

• Drivers to and from Tea are encouraged to use interstates 29 and 229 to enter and exit the area.
• Drivers to and from Harrisburg are encouraged to use Cliff Avenue and Highway 11 to enter and exit the area.
• A traffic signal has been installed at 85th Street and Western Avenue to alleviate traffic congestion at the intersection.

Tips for drivers:

• Slow down and eliminate distractions when you are in a construction zone.
• Plan ahead, leave early and consider an alternate route.