Dec. 6—MITCHELL — The South Dakota Department of Transportation has developed a number of long-term construction alternatives for State Highway 37 between Mitchell and Parkston, with a price tag ranging from $79 million to $132 million.
SDDOT held a public meeting Thursday at the Davison County Fairgrounds in Mitchell to unveil the ideas, which are the next step in the Department of State’s Highway 37 corridor study. During the meeting, SDDOT unveiled four long-term alternatives for a possible future reconstruction of Highway 37.
There are no reconstruction plans in the works and any large-scale construction will be decades away, but SDDOT is exploring future options through the corridor study, which is posting public comments online through Dec. 20. A final version of the study and a plan for implementation will take place in the spring of 2025.
The four long-term alternatives presented include:
* A two-lane highway with periodic passing lanes in each direction. The proposal includes three in each direction between Mitchell and Parkston. The plan is estimated to cost $79 million and would have minimal impact on adjacent properties and would maintain full access to driveways, although there could be an increased chance of left-turn accidents.
* A four-lane highway with a grass median of 14 meters wide. The plan has an estimated cost of $130 million and would impact adjacent properties, plus limit driveways to right-hand turns only. Approximately 250 feet of additional right-of-way would be required on each side of the highway.
* A four-lane highway with a 20-foot concrete median for 5 miles south of Mitchell (to 260th Street), then a grass median for the remainder of the highway to Parkston. The plan is estimated to cost $132 million. The paved center plan requires more maintenance, but does not require as much right-of-way (about 25 feet on each side).
*A hybrid alternative would require the paved median for 5 miles south of Mitchell and then two passing lanes in each direction between Mitchell and Parkston. That estimated cost is $95 million, with the plan improving safety and operations with the additional lanes, but the plan would still impact properties along Highway 37 between Mitchell and 260th Street.
A number of short-term alternatives are part of the study plan, including extending the left turn lanes at 257th, 264th and 270th streets, plus the intersections with Highway 42 in Ethan and West First Street in Dimock, and building a new exit to left. lane at 273rd Street north of Parkston and one southbound right lane at Carl Road and 259th Street south of Mitchell. Another safety improvement could come from reconstructing hills to provide more sight distance and adjusting passing zone markings on Highway 37.
None of the highway ideas are scheduled for a specific date. A general recommendation from SDDOT along the route is to consolidate and relocate ramps near intersections to help reduce accidents and safety concerns.
The short- and long-term corridor alternatives were developed using public input from earlier this year, including a similar public meeting in February in Parkston and Mitchell, which discussed road safety and operations and assessed real estate and cost impacts assessed. SDDOT said the most common themes heard by the public included concerns about speed and safety, a desire to see a four-lane highway between Mitchell and Parkston, adding new turn lanes and the additional truck traffic at the intersection with 257th Street with a new soybean processing facility scheduled to open in fall 2025.
According to SDDOT traffic data, the segments along Highway 37 between Mitchell and Parkston have seen between 3,000 and 4,500 vehicles per day for the past seven years. Those traffic numbers will increase as the totals get closer to Mitchell. SDDOT projections expect traffic on Highway 37 to double over the next 30 to 35 years.
The opening of the soybean factory will increase freight traffic. There are now about 500 trucks on the highway daily in the 257th Street area. An additional 95 trucks per day are expected during the site’s off-peak season, rising to more than 300 per day in September and October.
According to state data, the stretch between Mitchell and Parkston has a higher crash rate than other comparable highways in the state. The highway has a crash rate of 1.76 accidents per million vehicle miles traveled, above the state average for highways designated as rural arteries. The average statewide crash rate is 1.5. The highway has had four fatal crashes and 19 injury crashes between 2018 and June 2024.
Study alternatives and plans can be viewed online at
sd37corridorstudy.com
along with the ability to leave comments and feedback.
