Good news for travelers in the Arlington area. State highway 81 south of Arlington has reopened after being closed by flooding since last fall.

The four mile stretch through Twin Lakes was shut down in August of 2019 and has had a personal impact on both our people and our economy according to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. “This grade raise has restored access to help folks in this area get back to a normal routine. We will continue partnering with communities as we recover from the 2019 storms and mitigate future flood damage.”

According to the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), the work included raising the grade 3.5-feet, placing riprap, fabric, geogrid, striping, rumble strips, signing and guardrail. The guardrail installation was a needed safety measure due to the excessive drop off from raising the road and deep waters of 25-feet in some locations along this section.

The SDDOT will continue to monitor water levels and make additional improvements as needed.

Source: SD.gov

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