PIERRE, S.D. — In the planning stages for 18 years, work will finally begin on a new road through the central Black Hills.
The South Dakota Transportation Commission awarded the project to Loiseau Construction. The Flandreau-based contractor bid $23,381,920.13. That was 35% more than the state Department of Transportation’s estimate of $17,273,986.60, but less than the $35,714,263.36 bid submitted by Oftedal Construction of Casper, Wyoming.
That’s $6 million more than state officials expected it would cost to realign and pave a 10-mile gravel stretch of Rochford Road through the central Black Hills. The project runs south from the unincorporated community of Rochford to Deerfield Road, all in Pennington County.
DOT’s Sam Weisgram recommended that the state commission accept the lower of the two offers, rather than reject both and start over.
Weisgram said the remote location requires materials to be hauled in and getting equipment in and out will be complicated. Some rock blasting will be involved. “So it is somewhat of a difficult project to wrap your arms around and put an estimate to or put a bid to,” he said.
DOT staff looked but couldn’t identify any potential for substantial savings if the project was re-let, according to Weisgram. “We do feel it is the right move,” he said.
The state commissioners also revisited their March 9th decision to advance $11,962,000.00 of federal aid to Pennington County to help cover the project’s construction costs. In return, the county will forego its annual shares of federal aid for the next 10 years.
State Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt said DOT and the county have been planning the project since 2005. “The funding has always been the issue and how to get this thing paid for,” Jundt said. “This project has been in the pipeline for quite a long time.”
Weisgram described the project as “essentially” a full reconstruction.
Project plans can be are available here.
