Highway 85 construction starts Monday in Deadwood

DEADWOOD The journey to Deadwoods Highway 85 construction project has been just as bumpy and windy as the 1.5-mile road really is, but Monday crews will begin working to improve the major thoroughfare, looking to improve the ride for locals and tourists, alike.

With city, South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) and Oftedal officials in attendance, the project was discussed in detail Wednesday night at a public meeting in Deadwood.

Construction on Deadwoods Highway 85/Cemetery Street Reconstruction Project will begin in November and has an anticipated completion date of September, 2016.

The project timeline includes three phases.

Phase 1 will run from November through March of 2014 and includes four sub-phases, none of which involve highway reconstruction. Phase 1A includes Cemetery Street storm sewer and utilities work. Phase 1B includes constructing a retaining wall near the Mickelson Trail, and Phase 1D includes a rock cut in the vicinity of Twin City Hardware. Phase 1C includes a rock cut in the vicinity of Mollmans gas station.

Phase 1 traffic control involves closing down a portion of Cemetery Street; a temporary pedestrian access detour on the Mickelson Trail; one lane of traffic through the rock cut 1 and 2 areas using flaggers and temporary signals.

Chris Audiss, project manager for the principal contractor on the project, Oftedal Construction, said that Monday, crews will begin setting up barriers at the site of the first rock cut, near Mollmans corner.

Well be setting up concrete barriers along the south edge of the highway, Audisss said. The barriers are to protect any rocks that may fall down from up top, as we are starting to excavate this rock cut.

On Monday, motorists should expect 10 minute delays.

Tuesday, the project begins in earnest, and motorists will experience two weeks of 30-minute delays between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

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Highway 85 construction starts Monday in Deadwood