Road Report: July 14, 2025

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 done

26th Street: The South Dakota Department of Transportation project on the 26th Street bridge over Interstate 229 is complete, and all lanes are open to traffic.

What’s underway

12th Street: Crews are in the process of boring a steel casing pipe underneath 12th Street just west of Ellis Road.

This work is part of a project to make a third connection between the city of Sioux Falls’ water distribution system and the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System.

Installation of water main pipe will begin in one to two weeks on Ellis Road south of 12th Street, then west on 12th to a point about a mile west of Ellis.

The actual connection to the Lewis & Clark water main will take place next year.

Asphalt overlay program: Asphalt overlays are a street maintenance method that extends the life of an asphalt street at a fraction of the cost of reconstruction.

An asphalt overlay generally consists of milling, or grinding, the top 2 inches of asphalt off a street and replacing it with a new 2-inch layer of asphalt.

The asphalt overlay provides a new wearing course at the surface of the street and improves the ride experienced by motorists.

Areas receiving an asphalt overlay often have curb and gutter repairs, spot utility repairs and accessible curb ramp improvements performed in advance of the overlay.

Streets generally remain open to traffic during the concrete and utility work. However, during paving operations, streets will be closed, with traffic detoured accordingly.

The overlay program is mostly focused on neighborhood streets, but major streets scheduled for an asphalt overlay this year include 41st Street between Minnesota and Cliff avenues, Rice Street between Cleveland Avenue and Veterans Parkway, and 12th Street between Ellis and Marion roads.

In 2025, the city will be milling and overlaying more than 220 blocks of streets.

An interactive map showing current status, upcoming schedule and frequently asked questions is at: siouxfalls.gov/overlay.

57th Street: The outside westbound and eastbound lanes of 57th Street have been closed intermittently between Minnesota and Cliff avenues since July 9 to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs. This work is expected to be complete in one to two weeks.

Minnesota Avenue: The outside southbound lane closure in place on Minnesota Avenue between 11th and 14th streets was extended south to 18th Street on July 10 to allow crews to complete sidewalk improvements. This is the final phase of the project, which also included sidewalk improvements on both sides of 41st Street from Western to Westport avenues. The entire project is anticipated to be completed by mid-August.

I-29: Traffic was switched from the west two lanes to the east two lanes on southbound Interstate 29 on the bridge over Skunk Creek — near the 26th Street exit — on July 10 to allow crews to complete work in the west two lanes. This work is expected to be complete in mid-August.

I-90 & I-29: Work began July 10 on the Interstate 90 westbound bridge over Interstate 29. The westbound lanes of I-90 are closed, with one lane of traffic in each direction being maintained in the eastbound lanes. The north loop ramps of the I-90 and I-29 interchange are closed during this work. This work is expected to be complete in mid-August.

What’s next 

I-29: Beginning today, the two east lanes on southbound Interstate 29 will be closed at the bridges over 12th Street and the Ellis & Eastern Railroad tracks to allow crews to begin repair work on these bridges. Traffic will be maintained in the west two lanes. Work in the two east lanes is expected to be complete in late August, at which point traffic will be switched so repairs can be made on the other side of the bridge. All work is expected to be complete in October.

Russell Street: Beginning after the morning commute today, the outside eastbound lane on Russell Street will be closed at Prairie Avenue to allow crews to work on the signal pole in the southeast corner of the intersection. This work is expected to be complete by the end of the day.

La Mesa Drive: Beginning on Tuesday, La Mesa Drive will be closed between Madison and Songbird streets to allow crews to perform street maintenance work. Traffic should use Ellis or Marion roads as alternate routes. This work is expected to be complete in two to three days.

12th Street: Beginning on Tuesday, the outside westbound lane of 12th Street will be closed between Marion and Ellis roads to allow crews to perform various repair work and overlay the road. One lane of westbound traffic will be maintained in the inside westbound lane. Access to businesses and residents will be maintained during construction. The outside eastbound lane of 12th also remains closed between Marion and Ellis roads, with one lane of eastbound traffic being maintained in the inside eastbound lane. The project is expected to be complete in mid-September.