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Rice Street commuters forced to take different route rest of week
By By Alica P. Thiele
Challenger reporter
Challenger reporter
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EmailAugust 31. 2010 9:02AM
Brandon and Valley Springs residents who drive to Sioux Falls on Rice Street will need to find a different route this week as Rice is closed from Timberline to Cleveland avenues.
The Sioux Falls city website says traffic will be detoured to 60th Street North. Local traffic will be allowed around barricades to get into driveways, the site says, but the road will be completely closed at the railroad crossing west of the Great Bear Ski Lodge.
According to the website, the road will be closed while the city of Sioux Falls and the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad rebuild the railroad crossing at that point.
“The railroad’s rebuilding it, and we’re replacing the pavement next to it,” said Wes Philips, street engineer for Sioux Falls city engineering department. “They try to upgrade rail crossings. I don’t know if it wasn’t smooth or just up to their current standards, so they’re replacing it.”
The road was scheduled to be closed starting Monday, Aug. 30. Work should be done by Friday evening, Sept. 3, the website says.
Although Sioux Falls engineering did not contact Brandon City Hall about the project, Brandon City Administrator Bryan Read said he thinks Sioux Falls did a good job of informing the public. “There have been signs out there all week,” he said. Brandon is not involved with the project, Read said.
Leslie Erikson, director of transportation for the Brandon Valley School District, said Sioux Falls did not contact him about the project either, but he said the project won’t affect school bus routes.
“That should not affect any of our main bus routes,” Erikson said. “Our suburban routes that take our students into Sioux Falls can take alternative routes. So it should not affect us much at all, as long as they don’t come any farther east than EROS Data Road.”
The Sioux Falls city website says traffic will be detoured to 60th Street North. Local traffic will be allowed around barricades to get into driveways, the site says, but the road will be completely closed at the railroad crossing west of the Great Bear Ski Lodge.
According to the website, the road will be closed while the city of Sioux Falls and the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad rebuild the railroad crossing at that point.
“The railroad’s rebuilding it, and we’re replacing the pavement next to it,” said Wes Philips, street engineer for Sioux Falls city engineering department. “They try to upgrade rail crossings. I don’t know if it wasn’t smooth or just up to their current standards, so they’re replacing it.”
The road was scheduled to be closed starting Monday, Aug. 30. Work should be done by Friday evening, Sept. 3, the website says.
Although Sioux Falls engineering did not contact Brandon City Hall about the project, Brandon City Administrator Bryan Read said he thinks Sioux Falls did a good job of informing the public. “There have been signs out there all week,” he said. Brandon is not involved with the project, Read said.
Leslie Erikson, director of transportation for the Brandon Valley School District, said Sioux Falls did not contact him about the project either, but he said the project won’t affect school bus routes.
“That should not affect any of our main bus routes,” Erikson said. “Our suburban routes that take our students into Sioux Falls can take alternative routes. So it should not affect us much at all, as long as they don’t come any farther east than EROS Data Road.”
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An electronic sign on Rice Street last week alerted commuters that a stretch of the road will be closed this week. The Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad is rebuilding its railroad crossing just west of Great Bear Ski Lodge. Work is expected to be done by Friday evening. Photo by Alica P. Thiele |  |
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