SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — After years of planning, construction to complete Veterans Parkway will soon be starting.
South Veterans Parkway, a six-lane highway spanning 8.7 miles from Interstate 29 to the intersection of 57th Street and Sycamore Avenue, will take up to five years to complete. An exact start date for construction hasn’t been given as winter weather conditions continue in Sioux Falls.
Director of Public Works Mark Cotter said the first two miles of road construction will be bid in April.
“Each two miles will take about two years to build,” Cotter said in a city video discussing construction.
Road construction on the $210 million project will take place in four segments – Cliff Avenue to Western Avenue, Western Avenue to I-29, Sycamore Avenue to Cliff Avenue and 57th Street to Sycamore Avenue.
“The section of new road between Western Avenue and Cliff Avenue will be constructed first and is anticipated to begin in spring 2023,” an update on the South Veterans Parkway website said. People can also sign up for emailed updates on the project’s website.
South Veterans Parkway will intersect with Cliff Avenue just south of 77th Street, bridge over 85th Street, intersect with Minnesota Avenue near the 85th Street Walmart and intersect with Western Avenue near Harrisburg North Middle School.
A pedestrian underpass will be installed west of Minnesota Avenue.
Most of South Veterans Parkway will be three lanes of traffic eastbound and westbound with a 32-foot raised median separating travel lanes with a shared use path along the south side and a grass boulevard separating the path from the roadway.
The speed limit for Veterans Parkway will be 55 mph.
Design is underway for the other three segments of construction for South Veterans Parkway.
Currently, North Veterans Parkway is mostly complete from I-90 all the way to 57th Street. The stretch from Arrowhead Parkway north to Madison Street is not the full six-lane width like the rest of Veterans Parkway but that will be changed in 2024 and 2025.
After construction is finished for the new intersection of Arrowhead Parkway and Six Mile Road, it will be part of the detour route for when Veterans Parkway and Arrowhead Parkway will be shut down.
