U.S. Highway 385 Construction Scheduled to Begin in the Custer Area

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Contact: Tim Wicks, Custer Area Engineering Supervisor, 605-673-4948

CUSTER, S.D. – Pre-construction activities are starting for the U.S. Highway 385 reconstruction project. Contractors are in the process of preparing detours, relocating utilities, and completing tree removal. Phase one of the project will include reconstruction of the northern segment of Highway 385 from the Pennington-Lawrence County line to the northern end of Pactola Dam. Phase one of the reconstruction project is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, and includes a number of traffic impacts including shoofly detours (detours on gravel roads built parallel to the existing roadway) and diversions (smaller-scale shoofly detours). Motorists should be aware that with the project there will be complete closures from S.D. Highway 44 to the northern end of Pactola Dam, rock blasting with temporary closures, and pilot cars usage with wait times.

Users of the roadway can expect delays of 20 minutes during construction in areas that remain open to traffic and up to one to two hours delays during rock blasting. To avoid unknown wait times, please consider using the posted detour route of S.D. Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 16.

The second phase of the construction project includes Highway 385 from the south end of Pactola Dam to the south end of Sheridan Lake near Calumet Road. This phase is scheduled to begin in spring 2025.

Highway 385 Project Information: For questions regarding the project, contact Tim Wicks, Custer Area Engineering Supervisor at 605-673-4948 or via email at tim.wicks@state.sd.us. Find additional project information including maps, timelines, and construction updates on the website at https://www.US-385.com.

For updates on major traffic changes on the Highway 385 project, subscribe to a free text-in service. To subscribe, simply text “US385” to 605-566-4041. Subscribers can unsubscribe at any time.

About SDDOT:

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For the latest on road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

Read more about the innovative work of the SDDOT at https://dot.sd.gov.

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