BROOKINGS — When it comes to the four seasons, sometimes it seems like there’s only two seasons around here: Winter and road construction.
That will become obvious next week in Brookings, when reconstruction will start March 30 on the east side of the intersection of 20th Street South and 22nd Avenue South. The project will take several months to complete and is intended to improve the intersection’s ability to handle truck traffic.
Leading up to that, and other projects as well, was a construction open house on March 25 hosted by the city and Brookings Municipal Utilities. Experts were on hand to answer questions, and there were plenty of regular folks there to supply those questions.
“I was interested to see what the city is proposing to work on, streets in particular, and see if it impacted my neighborhood at all,” Kristi Tornquist told The Brookings Register.
The Brookings resident said that while her neighborhood wouldn’t be affected, it did look like her commute would be, as some of the planned work is near where she works.
“I was interested in the proposed construction near the Village Square area,” Tornquist added. “They’re going to be taking care of some water problems there — it’ll create some inconvenience this summer it sounds like, but it shouldn’t be too long. It looks like it needs to be done.”
Public Works Director John Thompson said the open house was an opportunity for residents to come and see what the upcoming construction season holds for not only the city, but BMU as well.
“It’s just good to be advised before the season starts so that you can plan for any type of delays going forward,” Thompson said.
Brookings resident Doug Wellman took advantage of the open house as well and came away seemingly satisfied.
“I wanted to see what the city had planned and talk about sidewalks, roads and pedestrian transportation,” he said. “I had some projects that I wanted to talk to them about, which I did, and got the city’s viewpoint on what they could and couldn’t do.”
According to information from the city and BMU, there will be three primary areas of focus this year:
Intersection upgrade
The aforementioned intersection of 20th Street South and 22nd Avenue South will remain open to traffic during its partial reconstruction.
“This project consists of increasing the turning radii of the northeast and southeast quadrants of the intersection. Recreational trail modifications, traffic signal and control modifications, and private utility relocation will also be completed,” according to information from the city. “The project is using unanticipated remaining funds from the I-29 Exit 130 Interchange project to improve the east side of the intersection to better accommodate truck traffic.”
The BUILD Grant associated with the I-29 interchange project in 2022-23 required that project preparations had to be completed within an 18-month compressed timeframe, rather than a more typical four-year timeframe, or the grant funds might have been lost.
That tight timeline, combined with restrictions on how Edgebrook Golf Course land could be repurposed for non-recreational use, meant the intersection just west of the interchange couldn’t be perfected until now.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation offered further insights as well.
“Work will begin with the installation of temporary traffic signals and the shutdown of the existing overhead traffic signals,” the agency wrote in a news release. “The first 30 days of the project will consist of relocating electrical utilities to new locations. Upon completion of the utility work, crews will begin removal of existing concrete, buildings, and other features, followed by grading and new concrete construction. This phase of work is estimated to take an additional 30 days to complete.”
Traffic will be controlled as a four-way intersection using temporary traffic signals, per the DOT. Turn lanes will be closed throughout construction, and motorists should expect minor delays.
The prime contractor on the $539,492 project is BX Civil & Construction of Dell Rapid. The overall project completion date is set for June 19.
Asphalt maintenance projects
According to the city, various streets will be resurfaced, and that the project will include work on some sidewalks and ramps. In addition to that, BMU will replace sanitary sewer and water distribution utilities on portions of the project, including 11th Avenue.
The estimated completion date is set for September. During the slurry seal portion of the project, temporary road closings and no-parking areas might be necessary. If so, residents will be notified the day before with boulevard signage.
Watermain work
BMU is installing new 16-inch raw and treated water mains to improve system reliability and capacity along the U.S. Highway 14 Bypass corridor. The project spans from Jackrabbit Avenue to 25th Avenue and from 22nd Avenue to Research Parkway.
The work is expected to wrap up in July, and temporary road closures and short water service interruptions will be part of the mix as well. Additionally, residents on Sunnybrook Drive will be provided with temporary mailbox and garbage collection services.
In closing, if you’re looking to keep abreast of the latest construction-related information, the city recommends checking out www.brookingscommunityconstruction.info.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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