US Hwy 85 reconstruction project traffic to be affected beginning April 6

DEADWOOD With Cemetery Street opened back up, two rock cuts, and storm sewer and utility projects on Cemetery Street nearly complete, retaining wall work in the vicinity of the Mickelson Trail will continue, as phase one of the US Highway 85/Cemetery Street reconstruction project enters its last stages.

For all intents and purposes, phase two and the start of traffic interruption will commence with the installation of a junction box to manage storm sewer outflow at the intersection of Cemetery and Sherman streets April 6.

That will take around three weeks, and well go right into phase two, said South Dakota Department of Transportation project manager Auston Harris. Then well continue right into the main construction of Highway 85. It will be quite congested in there for a couple of weeks.

Phase two of the construction project officially begins April 27.

Lead-Deadwood School District Transportation/Maintenance Supervisor Wayne Karpinen was in attendance at the public meeting held Tuesday and asked if the traffic delays, which will occur from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and involve 10-minute delays, taking traffic down to one lane, beginning April 6, will affect Lead-Deadwood School bus schedules.

There are 45 days of school left, Karpinen said. Im just wondering how this will affect bus routes.

Jim Wilcox of Oftedal Construction said that flaggers will be onsite during the day to get the buses on through.

They need their education, Wilcox said.

Last week, construction crews set up the Mickelson Trail pedestrian detour near Twin City Hardware Friday and reopened Cemetery Street.

The trail work and detour is expected to last approximately six weeks, and will begin in earnest once SDN relocates lines on the existing trail.

Excerpt from:
US Hwy 85 reconstruction project traffic to be affected beginning April 6