Dry summer spells success for trio of Sioux Falls road projects

Just seven days of heavy rains in Sioux Falls since May 1 has construction work humming along for a trio of high profile city projects.

Rehabiliating the oldest bridge in Sioux Falls, completely overhauling a major interstate interchange and building a modern road to access a new high school, City Hall has been keeping contractors busy this summer, and Mother Nature hasn't stood in the way.

26th Street and I-229/Southeastern Ave.

Partnering on the planning and construction of this $37 million project for more than a decade, construction began in early 2019 and could be finished as early as this fall.

The massive overhaul of the east-west corridor includes rebuilding the Southeastern Avenue intersection, adding lanes to 26th Street, widening the overpass bridge and the Big Sioux River crossing, realigning and separating Yeager Road from the I-229 ramp and raising the road to run above the train tracks near Southeastern Avenue and 26th Street.

Late last month, the contractor began raising the Rotary Park entrance to match the new elevation of 26th Street, began completion of the concrete barriers along the south side of the new 26th Street bridge and finished removing the old 26th Street bridge.

Grading and retaining wall work continues along Southeastern Avenue north of 26th Street.  

Eighth Street bridge

Work began in March on the $7.5 million reconstruction of the century-old bridge that spans the Big Sioux River at Eighth Street downtown.

The bridge, completely closed to both vehicle and foot traffic since the project started, is on track for a mid-fall completion, said Dena Knutson, a civil engineer in the Sioux Falls Public Works Department.

And that's in part because the bridge, which is being rehabbed instead of replaced, was in better shape than anticipated," she said. 

More decking is being done this month as well as the re-installation of utilities that will run within the structure.

Marion Road at Jefferson High 

With a brand new high school in line for northwestern Sioux Falls, upgrades were needed for the road network there.

Jefferson High School will sit on a 49-acre campus between Maple and Madison Streets and will primarily be serviced for traffic via Marion Road. 

That's why the city is spending about $4.9 million to rebuild what was a two-lane rural asphalt pavement section. When finished later this year, it will be a four-lane concrete road with turning lanes, traffic signals, street lights, storm sewer and a sanitary sewer water main.

Josh Peterson, a civil engineer for the city, said work is on schedule and should be substantially completed and opened for traffic by late-October.

The final items on the construction schedule, like sidewalk installation and landscaping, will likely continue into next spring with total completion and close out of the project happening no later than the end of June 2021, he said.