Stretch of Western Avenue Closing for Three Weeks

This isn't a closure that will be a headache for most people in Sioux Falls, but for south-siders it will be.

South Western Avenue will close Monday July 31 from 69th Street to LaQuinta Street while workers completely rebuild the street. The primary detour will be to take 69th Street west to South Minnesota Avenue and then another mile back on 85th Street. South Western Avenue is anticipated to reopen to traffic in late August. West 69th Street will remain open at all times.

Let's be honest, that will be the detour for out-of-towners and people who don't know the area. Those who live in the neighborhood will probably be wearing out Heatherridge Avenue and other streets to avoid a three mile detour.

From the city press release:

“We appreciate the public’s patience during this street closure,” says Brad Ludens, Principal Engineer. “By closing this segment of Western Avenue, the contractor will be able to complete this phase of the project more quickly than if traffic were to be maintained.”

This work is part of the ongoing project to reconstruct the South Western Avenue and West 69th Street intersection. The project includes underground utility upgrades, widening 69th Street to four lanes with a center median from Landau Circle to Minnesota Avenue, widening Western Avenue to five lanes from Remington Place to south of 69th Street, and more.

This $6.2 million project is expected to be fully open to traffic by late fall, with final completion scheduled for the spring of 2018. The prime contractor is D&G Concrete Construction Inc. of Sioux Falls.

Drivers are urged to use caution and reduce their speed while traveling near the construction area and should consider alternate routes. To stay up to date about street construction in Sioux Falls, go to www.siouxfalls.org/street-construction. A great interactive map provides all the information you need.

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