Several Chip Seal and Fog Seal Projects to Begin in Southwest South Dakota

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Contact: Matt “Rip” Rippentrop, Project Engineer, 605-673-9016

OELRICHS, S.D. – Beginning Thursday, June 13, 2024, crews will begin chip seal and fog seal projects on asphalt shoulders on portions of U.S. Highway 385, U.S. Highway 18, S.D. Highway 79, and U.S. Highway 16 in southwest South Dakota. Weather dependent, the contractor will move from one project to the next in the following scheduled order:

Highway 385 – Project begins at the South Dakota/Nebraska state line to the north for 12 miles to Oelrichs. The chip seal and fog seal is scheduled from Thursday, June 13 through Friday, June 21, 2024.
Highway 18 – Project begins at Oelrichs north for 20 miles to the Maverick Junction. The chip seal and fog seal is scheduled from Monday, June 17 through Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Highway 79 – Project begins at Maverick Junction heading north for 32 miles to the intersection of Highway 79 and S.D. Highway 36. The chip seal and fog seal is scheduled from Thursday, June 20 through Saturday, June 29, 2024.
Highway 16 – Project begins at the South Dakota/Wyoming state line east for 11 miles to the west side of Jewel Cave National Park. The chip seal and fog seal is scheduled from Monday, June 24 through Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

During each project, traffic will be reduced to one lane and guided with the use of flaggers and a pilot car. Delays of up to 15 minutes can be expected while traveling through the work area during daytime hours. The contractor will be working Monday through Saturday for the duration of the projects.

Loose gravel will be present on all projects for a period of 36 to 72 hours after each day’s chip seal application. Traffic is advised to travel 45 miles per hour or the posted speed limit if it is less than the advised speed during this timeframe. Permanent pavement striping is scheduled to be applied seven days after the chip seal on each project.

The prime contractor on the $2.3 million project is Bituminous Paving Inc. from Ortonville, MN. The completion date for these projects will be Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

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For the latest on road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

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