BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. – Beginning Tuesday, June 25, 2024, crews will begin chip seal and fog seal projects on portions of several highways in northwest South Dakota. Weather dependent, the contractor will move from one project to the next in the following scheduled order:
- S.D. Highway 20 – Project begins at the U.S. Highway 85 intersection south of Buffalo and runs east for 12 miles.
- U.S. Highway 85 – Project begins 14 miles south of Buffalo and ends eight miles north of Buffalo.
- S.D. Highway 79 – Project begins near the south boundary of the Custer National Forest and runs north for 14 miles to Reva.
- S.D. Highway 20 – Project begins in Prairie City and runs east for 31 miles to the S.D. Highway 73 intersection near Meadow.
- S.D. Highway 73 – Project begins at the U.S. Highway 212 intersection west of Faith and runs 52 miles north to the Shadehill Reservoir.
- S.D. Highway 34 – Project begins at the U.S. Highway 85 intersection in Belle Fourche and runs 17 miles to Whitewood.
- U.S. Highway 212 – Project begins at the South Dakota/Wyoming state line and runs east for 12 miles. Work on this project will consist of chip sealing and fog sealing the roadway shoulders.
- S.D. Highway 34 – Project begins three miles west of Union Center and runs 19 miles east to White Owl.
- S.D. Highway 79 – Project begins at the intersection of S.D. Highway 34 near Sturgis and runs north for 18 miles to Newell.
No work will be conducted on any portion of the roadways within a 40 mile radius of the City of Sturgis while the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is occurring.
During each project, traffic will be reduced to one lane and guided with the use of flaggers and a pilot car. Delays of up to 15 minutes can be expected while traveling through the work area during daytime hours.
Loose gravel will be present on all projects for a period of 36 to 72 hours after each day’s chip seal application. Traffic is advised to travel 40 miles per hour or the posted speed limit if it is less than the advised speed during this timeframe. Permanent pavement striping is scheduled to be applied seven days after the chip seal on each project.
The prime contractor on the $9.3 million project is Asphalt Surface Technologies Corporation of Saint Cloud, MN. The overall completion date for these projects is Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.
