Highway 50 Closed Near Lake Andes

MITCHELL – The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), yesterday, closed 10 miles of Highway 50 from Lake Andes to the east for construction. This section of highway also overlaps with US 18 and US 281. 

Crews plan to remove the existing surfacing and replace it with a temporary blotter. The highway will get a final surface next summer. During construction, crews will widen the road top, improve safety and provide additional ditch storage. The road top will be widened to provide two 12 foot driving lanes with 8 foot shoulders. Work also includes replacing all existing culverts, some of which are over 50 years old. 

Access to each residence and business adjacent to the project will be provided, however the SDDOT is setting up detours for other traffic. People taking SD Highway 50 will be detoured from Lake Andes to Pickstown to Wagner.  Drivers on US Highways 18 and 281 will be detoured from the junction east of Lake Andes south to SD 46 and then to Pickstown.

Foothills Contracting, Inc. from Webster SD is the prime contractor on the $3.5 million project, which is scheduled to be completed by September 1, 2005.  Once completed, traffic will be restored to the highway.

For more information, contact Eric Prunty at (605) 995-8120.

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