Chip Seal and Fog Seal Projects Scheduled to Begin in Northwest South Dakota

For Immediate Release:  Friday, July 14, 2023

Contact: Jim Dorfschmidt, Project Manager, 605-210-2212

BELLE FORUCHE, S.D. – Crews will begin chip seal and fog seal projects on portions of U.S. Highway 212, U.S. Highway 85, S.D Highway 20, and S.D. Highway 79, in northwest South Dakota, beginning Wednesday, July 19, 2023. 

The contractor will move from one project to the next in the scheduled following order:

• U.S. Highway 212 – Project begins east of Belle Fourcheand will continue east to the town of Nisland.
• U.S. Highway 85 – Project begins at the intersection of Highway 212 and Highway 85 in Belle Fourche and goes north for 22 miles.
• U.S. Highway 85 – Project begins at the Butte/Harding County line and continues north for 12 miles.   
• S.D. Highway 20 – Project begins in Prairie City and runs west for 25 miles.
• S.D. Highway 79 – Project begins at the North Dakota State line and goes south for 13 miles.
• U.S. Highway 212 – Project begins in Maurine and continues to Faith.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane and guided through all projects with the use of flaggers and a pilot car. Delays of up to 15 minutes can be expected while traveling through the work area during daytime hours.

Loose gravel will be present on all projects for a period of 36 to 72 hours after each day’s chip seal application. Traffic is advised to travel 45 miles per hour or the posted speed limit if it is less than the advised speed during this timeframe. Permanent pavement striping is scheduled to be applied seven days after the fog seal on each project.

The prime contractor on the $5.1 million project is Bituminous Paving Inc. from Ortonville, MN. The completion date for these projects will be Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

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.

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