News Stories

How does the DOT decide to close highways - Keloland 1/3/2022

January 03, 2023
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A portion of I-90 between Chamberlain and Humboldt remains closed Tuesday afternoon, with many other routes across the state designated with differing warnings and conditions. But how does the South Dakota DOT decide when a route should be closed? “We do have a defined process,” said Craig Smith, DOT Director of Operations. “It’s a partnership with the Department of Public Safety, so between the Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation — they make that final...

South Dakota plow drivers rescue 50 people in mid-December snowstorm - Dakota News Now 1/2/2023

January 03, 2023
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -The plow drivers across the state get behind the wheel to ensure the roads are driveable. Sometimes they go above and beyond. “It’s not our job to rescue, but when we’re called upon, we go and do it,” says Jim Lolley, SD DOT Maintenance Supervisor in Murdo. “To save these people they’ve never met before,” adds Jason Humphrey, SD DOT Pierre Region Engineer. When a mid-December storm swept across the state, the hardest-hit areas needed to close. Lolley says onc...

Weeks of brutal winter weather provide South Dakota plows season's first real test - Mitchell Republic 12/30/2022

January 05, 2023
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The South Dakota Department of Transportation is emerging from its first winter test, a two-week stretch of heavy snow, blinding winds and freezing temperatures that prompted rolling closures on the state’s main arteries and left at times thousands of motorists stalling in blizzard conditions. “Visibility was so severe,” said Mike Carlson, the area engineer in the Rapid City region of the state Department of Transportation. “I hadn’t seen it this severe in 40 years.” One day ...

SDDOT provides update on snow cleanup - Keloland 12/27/2022

December 28, 2022
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Snow on South Dakota’s roads has posed big problems for drivers this month. Craig Smith, director of operations with the South Dakota Department of Transportation, gave KELOLAND News on Tuesday afternoon an update on snow cleanup efforts. “We definitely have a lot of drifting that needs to be pushed back along with a lot of roads that have ice and compacted snow,” Smith said. “Fortunately, we’ve got some warmer temperatures out there, so our chemicals, deicing chemical...

No travel advised across all of South Dakota - Keloland 12/22/2022

December 22, 2022
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The snow fall may mostly be gone from much of KELOLAND but the winds are causing ground blizzards. Visibility is affected in most of the state. Shortly after noon Thursday, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said no travel was advised for all of South Dakota. The DPS sent a public safety alert to smart phones. Interstate 90 from Rapid City to Sioux Falls will close at 5 p.m. Thursday. I-90 from Rapid City to Chamberlain was closed on Wednesday.Read the full s...