Department of Transportation
Rapid City Area Office
2300 Eglin Street
P.O. Box 1970
Rapid City, SD 57709-1970
Phone: (605) 394-2248
FAX: (605) 394-1904
For Immediate Release: October 20, 2009
Contact: Steve Palmer, 394-2248
Construction to be suspended at Exit 52
Rapid City, SD – The construction project at Exit 52 near Black Hawk will not be completed by the end of October 2009 as previously scheduled.
As reported earlier this year, the Department of Transportation discovered that the new multi-plate structure over the DM&E Railroad on the Exit 52 project had experienced some settling. The design of the new railroad structure was based on subsurface condition tests performed at that time. It has been discovered that the load bearing capacity of the foundation materials under the structure has decreased due to wet weather in recent years.
The Department has now completed soil treatments under the structure footings to mitigate the soil conditions. In August engineers were optimistic the project would be completed as scheduled this fall. However, they have now determined it would be more appropriate to monitor the soil conditions through next spring to ensure the soil treatments have been successful prior to completing the project. The Department will keep the existing eastbound lanes open through the winter in case more corrective action is required on the railroad structure in the spring of 2010. The new eastbound lanes of I-90 will not be completed until next year.
The Department is in the process of modifying the existing eastbound transitions through the old “S-Curves” to improve the roadway for winter weather driving conditions. After the eastbound lanes are modified, the project will be suspended until 2010, at which time the project will resume and the new eastbound lanes of I-90 and Sturgis Road (old SD Highway 79) will be completed. Engineers anticipate the project will be completed in October 2010.
For more information, contact Steve Palmer with the Department of Transportation at (605)394-2248.
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