BVIS to host Nov. 27 meeting on future route to Sioux Falls
By:
Dave Baumeister, County correspondent
At a 6 p.m. public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 27, improvements to this road will be discussed which may negate the need for a sign to warn drivers if Park/Maple Street from Brandon to Sioux Falls is passable. Dave Baumeister/For the Journal
A future route from Brandon to Sioux Falls will be the topic of a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Brandon Valley Intermediate School, 201 W. Park St.
That same Park Street in Brandon, which turns into Maple Street shortly after the road crosses the Big Sioux River, will be the subject of the meeting, as Minnehaha County and other agencies look to improve and pave the road.
Currently, a 2.2-mile section of the Splitrock Township road falls between the cities of Brandon and Sioux Falls.
From Veterans Parkway (former Powder House Road) in Sioux Falls to the Big Sioux bridge on the southwestern side of Brandon, the street is a “washboard” gravel road.
But even in its present condition, the Maple/Park street corridor is still a major route for commuter’s traveling between Brandon and Sioux Falls.
According to Paul Sanow with HDR Engineering of Sioux Falls, the firm overseeing the project, studies have shown that this road plays host to more than 900 vehicles daily.
“The numbers we’re seeing (on that road) far-exceed the threshold for a gravel road,” Sanow said.
He pointed out the maximum for a gravel road is around 150 to 200 vehicles per day.
Sanow is hoping for a big turnout at next Tuesday’s meeting.
He explained that the meeting is an essential part of planning for the route and the more input that comes in, the better the chance all concerns can be addressed.
While designers have ideas about the project, they are waiting for input from the general public, as well as property owners, law enforcement and first responders before starting to solidify any short- or long-term plans.
The corridor is a joint venture with the South Dakota Department of Transportation, Minnehaha County, the cities of Sioux Falls and Brandon, and Splitrock Township.
A paved road would allow more vehicles to access the new route and would take pressure off of Holly Boulevard/Rice Street and Highway 11, the other two main routes connecting the cities.
Sanow said that the project would be ongoing over the next five years, and they would be looking at long-term goals as far out as 2045.
Exactly what will be done and the timeline for it will be discussed Tuesday.
“You don’t build a road for today,” Sanow added, “You build it for the future.”
And he emphasized that people’s questions, concerns and ideas are an integral part to the future of the Park/Maple Street project.
