SDDOT receives grant for U.S. Highway 385 safety improvement project

PIERRE, S.D. (KEVN) – The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) is set to receive around $67 million from the FY2023-2024 Rural Surface Transportation Grant funds. The grant will be used for highway safety enhancements on the U.S. Highway 385 reconstruction project in Pennington County.

The project aims to create approximately 15 miles of highway safety improvements on Highway 385 in Pennington County, starting from Sheridan Lake and concluding at the Pennington/Lawrence County Line. The improvements will involve widening the shoulders to eight feet, enhancing the recovery area, flattening curves, replacing four major drainage structures, installing two grade-separated trail crossings, replacing and extending drainage pipes, and resurfacing the roadway.

“This Rural Grant provides funding for a key SDDOT safety initiative on a vital state highway utilized by local commuters as well as thousands of visitors exploring the Black Hills,” said Joel Jundt, SDDOT Transportation Secretary. “Highway 385 is the principal north/south route through the Black Hills, and this project will enhance safety and access to a variety of recreation sites for South Dakotans and visitors in the Black Hills National Forest, National Park Service Monuments, or National Parks, and South Dakota State Park sites.”

Rural Grant applications were evaluated based on various criteria, including project readiness, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with critical goals such as safety enhancement, mobility and reliability increase, resiliency improvement, and infrastructure restoration.

For a complete list of the FY2023-2024 Rural Grant awards, please view it here.

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