U.S. Highway 81 Through Yankton
Project Summary:
U.S. Highway 81 - From S.D. Highway 50 to 23rd Street in Yankton
Signal Modification
Intersection Modifications
Sidewalk Improvements with Accessibility Improvements
Street Lighting Upgrades
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Project Updates:
May 22, 2026:
Anticipated work in May 2026: The contractor will be working at 4th Street, 10th Street and 23rd Street. The contractor will be working on 23rd Street and 4th Street on traffic signal pole removals and new pole installations, as well as salvaging the old equipment, conduit work and electrical installations. The contractor will remove all existing concrete sidewalk and fillet sections and will install new curb and gutter, concrete sidewalk and fillet sections at 10th Street and 15th Street.
Completed work in April 2026: The contractor installed new signal poles, arms and heads at the 15th Street and Broadway intersection and installed all new conduit and electrical cables at 15th Street. The contractor installed a new traffic controller box and electric service cabinets, as specified in the plans, at the 15th Street and 21st Street intersections of Broadway. The contractor removed and salvaged all existing signal equipment from the 8th Street, 21st Street and 15th Street intersections of Broadway. The contractor removed all concrete pavement scheduled for removal and removed the existing sidewalk at 10th Street, 15th Street, 21st Street and 23rd Street, and installed new concrete sidewalk and fillet sections at 21st Street on Broadway. The contractor installed new drop inlets at 21st Street and 10th Street on Broadway, along with a junction box, pipe sections, and new curb and gutter and fillet sections at 10th Street on Broadway. New push‑button pedestrian poles were installed at 8th Street and 21st Street on Broadway. The contractor also installed new concrete medians on the north and south islands at the 4th Street and Broadway intersection.
April 20, 2026:
Anticipated work in April 2026: The contractor will work at 21st Street and 15th Street to remove traffic signal poles and salvage existing equipment. Crews will install new conduit and electrical systems.
Existing concrete sidewalk, fillet sections, and water drop inlets at 21st Street and 15th Street will be removed and replaced in accordance with project plans.
At 8th Street, the contractor will install new pedestrian push-button poles. At the intersection of 21st Street and Broadway Avenue, crews will remove existing signal heads, poles, and mast arms.
Completed work in March 2026: The contractor installed new signal heads, mast arms, and poles at 8th Street and at the intersection of 21st Street and Broadway Avenue. New conduit and electrical systems were installed at 8th Street.
Crews removed existing sidewalk and fillet sections and installed new ADA-compliant sidewalk and fillet sections in accordance with project plans. Traffic control was maintained throughout the work.
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March 4, 2026 - Press Release:
An intersection modification and traffic signal project has begun on U.S. Highway 81 (Broadway Avenue) in the City of Yankton. Work on the project includes traffic signal upgrades, ADA (curb ramp) upgrades, and intersection modifications on Highway 81 (Broadway Avenue) at the intersections of 4th Street, 8th Street, 10th Street, 15th Street, 21st Street, 23rd Street, and 31st Street within the City of Yankton. During the week of March 2, 2026, traffic signal work began at the 8th Street and 21st Street intersections of Highway 81 (Broadway Avenue).
As work is completed at one intersection, the project will advance to the next intersection on the Broadway Avenue reconstruction project. As footing construction is completed at an intersection, the intersection modification, curb ramp upgrades, and signal modification will follow. The center turn lanes at the intersection of 4th Street and Broadway Avenue will be reconstructed to realign the left turn lanes to be directly across from each other to improve sight distance and improve safety for turning traffic.
Temporary traffic signals and lane closures will be used to maintain traffic through the work area. Pedestrians will be detoured through and around the work zones as needed. The traveling public is asked to be alert through the work zone for longer queues of traffic, construction vehicles entering and exiting the work zones, and for workers adjacent to moving traffic.