State DOT to raise Highway 81 again

The South Dakota Department of Transportation is planning to construct two emergency grade-raise projects due to flooding on Highway 81 south of Arlington and on Highway 18 east of Lake Andes.

Both highways have been impacted since March of this year due to high lake levels overtopping the roadways and both are currently closed to traffic.

Highway 81 south of Arlington will be raised an average of two-feet for a length of two miles from 213th Street to south of 215th Street. Work is expected to begin in late August and the roadway re-opened to traffic in late October. Anticipated cost for this work is $4 million.

Highway 18 east of Lake Andes will be raised for a length of 2,000-feet. A contractor has been hired and has begun work to place material that will raise the roadway, nearly four feet in some locations. The roadway is expected to be re-opened to traffic in early September and has an anticipated cost of $1 million.

These grade raises are a temporary solution and long-term plans are being developed to make the grade raise work permanent on both highways either in 2020 or 2021.