Sioux Falls S.D. (KELO AM) - The Solberg Avenue Overpass in southwestern Sioux Falls opened for public traffic this afternoon. Representatives from the City of Sioux Falls, the South Dakota Department of Transportation, and the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening with a ribbon cutting and short parade of the first vehicles across the new bridge.
“This project is a big win for people who live or work on the west side of town,” says Mark Cotter, Director of Public Works. “Once new driving patterns are established, about 4,300 vehicles a day are expected to use the new route, creating a 10 percent reduction in vehicle delays at the intersection of 57th Street and Louise Avenue.”
The project cost nearly $6.5 million and took just more than a year to complete. The bridge includes four lanes of asphalt pavement, turn lanes at 59th Street and 69th Street, a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side of the street, and a 10-foot-wide bike path on the east side of the street.