Road Report: July 31, 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

12th Street: The outside eastbound lane on 12th Street between Crossroads Drive and Lyons Avenue closed Wednesday to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs.  This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Benson Road: The outside eastbound lane on Benson Road between Fourth and Cliff avenues closed Wednesday to allow crews to bore electrical lines. This work is expected to be complete in about two weeks.

57th Street: The first concrete pour took place last week on 57th Street east of Veterans Parkway.

The street is being expanded in the area to accommodate future growth on the southeast side of Sioux Falls.

Work is expected to be complete later this fall.

85th and Cliff: Things are coming together at the intersection of 85th Street and Cliff Avenue.

Asphalt paving started on the north and west legs of the intersection last week.

Curb and gutter work and asphalt paving on the south leg of the intersection is expected to begin in early August.

The intersection is still on track to be opened to traffic before school starts in mid-August.

Even though motorists will see pavement, they’re asked to keep using the signed detour routes until all work is complete: 85th Street traffic should use 69th Street, and Cliff Avenue traffic should use Minnesota Avenue.

Arrowhead Parkway: We are in the home stretch on the Arrowhead Parkway construction project!

The contractor is working on landscaping, seeding and other miscellaneous finishing work.

The pavement striping still needs to be installed as well.

All lanes of traffic are expected to be open by mid-August, with cleanup work expected to continue into September.

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 of 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 concrete and utility work. However, during paving operations, streets will be closed and traffic detoured accordingly.

The overlay program is focused mostly on neighborhood streets, but major streets scheduled for an asphalt overlay this year include Cliff Avenue between 11th and 26th streets, Sixth Street between Leadale and Shepherd avenues, 26th Street between Cleveland and Alpine avenues, and Cleveland between 10th and Rice streets.

This year, the city will be milling and overlaying a little more than 200 blocks of streets.

Click here to see an interactive map showing current status.

What’s next

Benson & I-229: Beginning today, the northbound on-ramp from Benson Road to Interstate 229 will be closed to allow crews to work on utilities, grading and concrete surfacing. Northbound traffic should use Cliff Avenue as an alternate route. This work is expected to be complete in about one month.

12th Street: Beginning today, the outside eastbound lane of 12th Street will be closed between the Big Sioux River bridge and Kiwanis Avenue to allow crews to perform sidewalk repairs.  Two eastbound lanes will remain open to traffic at all times. Westbound traffic will not be impacted. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Legacy Park: Beginning today, Legacy Park will be closed to vehicle traffic. The park will remain open via pedestrian/bike access from the bike trail. The restrooms will be closed, but portable restrooms will be provided for bike trail users. Expansion and improvements will be made to the existing parking lot. Weather permitting, the parking lot will be reopened in early September.

57th Street: Beginning today, the outside lanes on 57th Street will be closed between Pennbrook Avenue and Pheasant Lane to allow crews from Xcel Energy to work in the area. This work is expected to be complete in about two weeks.

Phillips Avenue: Beginning today, the parking lane on the east side of Phillips Avenue will be closed between Sixth and Eighth streets to allow crews from Xcel Energy to work in the area. This work is expected to be complete in about one week.

Minnesota Avenue: Beginning today, the outside southbound lane on Minnesota Avenue will be closed between Third and Eighth streets to allow crews from MidAmerican Energy to work in the area. This work is expected to be complete in about one month.