Drivers in Rapid City can expect periodic delays along Highway 44 this spring as crews work on a rockfall mitigation project in Cleghorn Canyon. The South Dakota Department of Transportation and contractors from Midwest Rockfall have begun removing unstable rock from the cliffs above the roadway.
Crews will first build a protective barrier along the highway, then bring down loose rock from above. Traffic will be held in 15‑minute intervals while that work is underway.
DOT Engineering Supervisor Steve Palmer says delays won’t begin until after the morning commute, with traffic stops starting around 8:30 a.m.
Once loose boulders are removed, crews will install a rockfall‑catching fence to protect the roadway in the future.
The project is scheduled to wrap up by July 31, though officials say it could finish earlier.
