CUSTER, S.D. – Two complete road closures on U.S. Highway 385 will begin on Monday, May 20, 2024. Closure A is located between the road to the Pactola North Boat Ramp and Pactola Dam and will be completely closed to traffic for eight weeks, reopening by Friday, July 12, 2024. Closure B is located between S.D. Highway 44 and the road to the Pactola North Boat Ramp and will be completely closed to traffic for three weeks, with temporary openings on weekends and Memorial Day, reopening by Friday, June 7, 2024. Complete closures were deemed necessary for the safety of the travelling public and efficiency of the project due to the large amount of material being blasted and moved throughout the closure areas.
The Pactola North Boat Ramp will not be accessible during weekdays from Monday, May 20, 2024, through Friday, June 7, 2024. It will be accessible on weekends and on Memorial Day from the north. After Friday, June 7, 2024, the Pactola North Boat Ramp will only be accessible from the north. The North Boat Ramp will be accessible from all directions after Friday, July 12, 2024.
Access to the Pactola South Boat Ramp will not be impacted during these closures. Boaters can access the South Boat Ramp via Highway 16/Highway 385 or Sheridan Lake Road/Highway 385.
Detour Route:
The posted detour will be S.D. Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 16. The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) recommends that travelers exercise caution when using non-maintained roadways.Emergency services are aware of these closures and are closely collaborating to provide response coverage. Non-closed areas within the project limits (Pennington-Lawrence County Line to Highway 44) will be under construction during closures.
Once completed, this section of Highway 385 will feature safety improvements, including wider shoulders on each side of the road where possible, improved road curves to meet current design standards, additional turning lanes to improve traffic flow, and new surfacing.
