Drivers across Rapid City, Box Elder, and Pennington County should prepare for a busy spring construction season, with several major road closures beginning this week.
In Rapid City, Pinedale Drive will close to through traffic starting Monday, April 13, between West Chicago Street and South Berry Pine Road. Crews will be upgrading ADA ramps, improving sidewalks, and resurfacing the roadway. That work is expected to continue through April 30.
Another significant project begins on Wednesday, April 15, on Fairmont Boulevard. The westbound lane will close between Elm and Maple Avenues for a full utility and road reconstruction project. Traffic will shift to the center lane, and East Anaconda Avenue will close with a detour via Elm. The sidewalk on the north side of Fairmont will also be shut down. This project runs through late November.
In Box Elder, the intersection of Box Elder Road and Ellsworth Road—a major route near Ellsworth Air Force Base—will close for about a week starting April 13 as crews install a larger sewer line. Drivers will be detoured to Liberty Boulevard, and officials warn that alternate routes like Melody Lane and Drew Drive are narrow and require slower speeds. A weekday lane closure is also planned at Radar Hill and Northern Lights Boulevard East for turn lane construction, with temporary signals in place.
In Pennington County, Paulsen Road will close Tuesday, April 14, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for bridge deck repairs. Seasonal spring load limits on county roads have also been lifted, though some permanent restrictions remain.
State transportation officials encourage drivers to check the SDDOT construction map and the SD511 system for updates. As part of National Work Zone Awareness Week later this month, the state will host a construction season kickoff on April 17, highlighting this year’s theme: Safe Actions Save Lives.
