Diamonds are a driver’s best friend - Kelo 4/10/2022

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Diamonds are a driver’s best friend

By Don Jorgensen – April 10 (10 p.m.)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — We’ve already told you about two major road construction projects in South Dakota that will have a big impact on drivers.

Crews have already started working on a Diverging Diamond Interchange in Rapid City and prep work has begun for one at 41st Street and Interstate 29.

But those two are just the beginning.

Although you might find them confusing at first, you better get used to Diverging Diamond Interchanges.

Diverging diamond intersections coming to Rapid City & Sioux Falls

The state transportation department says there are already two more in the works.

The next one will be here at Benson Road over I-229. The reason? Increased traffic.

“It actually has quite a bit of heavy traffic movement because of the business corridor that it does supply in order to go to work, you know the Sanford and different businesses right off Benson Road off of 229,” South Dakota Department of Transportation Area Engineer Harry Johnston said.

Construction on that one will start next year

The state’s fourth diverging diamond will be at the Brandon exit along Interstate 90.

“The need really arises from the heavy traffic movement during peak volume hours there’s a lot of traffic in the morning and in the evenings that enter and exit Brandon so those traffic volumes warrant this kind of interchange,” Johnston said.

Highway 18 project to close section of roadway

Construction on that one will start in 2024.

Safety is the main reason behind these diverging diamond interchanges – because Johnston says they reduce the number of ways vehicles can collide by almost half.

“It reduces that conflict movement where traffic that’s traveling doesn’t have to turn left across lanes of traffic where you travel on per say the wrong side of the road or the opposite side as you typically do you’ll be able to make a left turn movement freely without having to cross traffic so it’ll reduce that impact,” Johnston said.

Johnston says they should also reduce the amount of time you sit and wait at a stoplight.

If the state puts in an interchange at 85th and I-29 south of Sioux Falls, that one, too, will be a diverging diamond.