By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Work
has started on the second phase of the Highway 18 and 44
reconstruction project in Winner.
This
year the focus is on Highway 44 from Plum Street to just past the
sale barn road.
Reede
Construction of Aberdeen is the prime contractor for this $20.9
million construction project.
The
South Dakota Department of Transportation gave an update on the
project at a meeting on June 14.
The
state DOT and Reede Construction are holding weekly highway
construction meetings each Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the city council
chambers.
The
meetings will be live streamed every other week. The public is
invited to attend the meetings to learn about the progress of the
project.
The
milling of the asphalt off the current stretch of Highway 44 started
June 21. This will last for about five days. There will be some
traffic delays and there will be flaggers to guide the motorists
through the work zone
Doug
Sherman, area engineer for the DOT says the road will remain open but
if there is a lot of rain it will have be closed.
A
truck detour will be put in place that utilizes Highway 49 to
Colome and Highway18 back to Winner.
The
highway will be open to local truck traffic and delivery vehicles.
A
12 foot wide width restriction for trucks will be in place, just the
same as Phase I last summer.
Work
on Highway 44 will include a new concrete pavement which will be
three lanes, curb and gutter, new sidewalks, lighting plus utility
placement.
Though
the focus this year is on Highway 44, the project also includes
redoing Highway 18 from Van Buren Street to the west limits of Winner
near the Country Club Motel. The Highway18 portion of the project
may be in 2023 since this phase is so large.
Reede
Construction has created a Facebook page so the public can follow the
updates. Persons can search “Winner highway construction
2022-2023.”
In
the construction zone, motorists are asked to be aware of suddenly
slowing traffic, reduced speeds in the work zone and construction
workers and equipment adjacent to the driving lanes.
Speak
at Rotary
Sherman
and Mike Flakus, project supervisor for Reede Construction, spoke at
the Winner Rotary meeting on June 16. They explained the scope of the
work on Highway 44.
Flakus
is originally from Colome and after he retired from teaching and
coaching in Aberdeen he joined Reede Construction. Flakus was the
head football coach at Aberdeen Central for many years.
In
addition to work on Highway 44, Sherman explained other construction
work in Tripp County. Work is underway on Highway 49 from the
junction of Highway 44 to Highway 47.
Also,
work will start later this summer on Highway 53.
Loading ...