Road Improvements Continue In 2013
by Laura Monteverdi, Reporter
December 06, 2012 6:02 PM
City officials say 2012 was a year of progress for the city of Sioux Falls in terms of transportation.
“I hope that in your daily commutes you have seen the streets transform over the recent years,” said Public Works Director Mark Cotter.
In the last few years several major improvements have been made to not only improve the roadways, but also to improve the average commute.
According to city officials, some projects, such as the improvements at 57th Street and Cliff Avenue, the morning commute was reduced by 27 percent. Evening commute times have been reduced by more than 50 percent. With the population in the city increasing daily, they say the only way to go is forward.
"This growth creates traffic and we need to stay on the leading edge of which streets need to be reconstructed so we can meet the needs of this traffic,” said Cotter.
In the next year, approximately $76.3 million is expected to be spent on road construction. One area that will be under total reconstruction is Kiwanis Avenue. The high-traffic road will be widened from 4 lanes to 5 lanes in 2013.
Other big road construction projects planned for next year include Russell Street between Westport Avenue and Minnesota Avenue and SD Highway 11.