In 2020, the State of South Dakota Transportation Commission approved the plans to complete construction on the remaining 8.5 miles that make up the southern section of Veterans Parkway. South Veterans Parkway is the final stage in connecting I-29 and I-90. The addition of the parkway will reduce congestion on nearby roads. South Veterans Parkway will consist of six travel lanes, three in each direction, with a raised median separating traffic in both directions. Local and regional traffic will access the parkway at signalized intersections spaced at approximately one mile. A shared-use path will be constructed along the south and east side of the South Veterans Parkway for people walking and biking, with crossing options along the route.

The purpose and needs for South Veterans Parkway were identified in the 2003 Environmental Assessment and confirmed in supplemental Environmental Assessments. The South Veterans Parkway helps meet future area transportation needs by:

• Preparing the City of Sioux Falls for 2050 transportation system needs consistent with planning decisions and future construction of other public and private infrastructure investments.
• Preventing capacity and continuity issues on the existing arterial street network (i.e., Minnesota Avenue, 41st Street, 69th Street, Cliff Avenue, etc.) that would occur if Veterans Parkway was not completed between I-29 and 57th Street.

The project will cost approximately $210 million.

This project is a partnership of the South Dakota Department of Transportation, City of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Federal Highway Administration.

This four-year construction project is anticipated to begin in 2023. Separating construction into segments reduces the overall impact on the project area. Updates on potential impacts will be shared via social media, email, and this website, when available. Once complete, the improvements will improve traffic flow, provide more community connections, and encourage regional economic growth.

Comments and questions can be emailed or submitted through our comment form.

Planning, design, and permitting for this project is underway. Construction of the first road segment is anticipated to begin in 2023 and the project is anticipated to be fully completed in 2026.

South Veterans Parkway will connect I-29 to the previously completed Veterans Parkway, which is just north of 57th Street.

The selected location of the parkway is an optimal location for future city growth. The goal is to locate the future parkway where it will benefit travelers immediately after opening day, as well as provide value to the city’s streets network into the future. County Road 106 is on the edge of the City’s growth area. Therefore, it wouldn’t serve the majority of residents within the growth area.

Another reason for selecting the current location of South Veterans Parkway is that it results in fewer direct impacts to homes and wetlands. Following County Road 106 and north on Highway 11 would require the closure of many if not all existing accesses along the route and a significant number of buyouts and relocation of current residents. The access requirements of the corridor do not allow for multiple access points. Alternative alignments between County Road 106 and the selected location would also directly impact wetlands and require the relocation of many homeowners, as well as break up farmland with no to very few options to access the land on either side of the corridor.

An Environmental Assessment was prepared and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and approved the parkway location in 2003.

A supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) was published in 2012, including the selected alignment or location for South Veterans Parkway. The supplemental EA focused on safety improvements including intersection realignment and safer curves. In addition, FHWA prepared a second FONSI in 2012. Early property acquisition continues at locations along the corridor since receiving this FONSI.

FHWA, SDDOT, and the City of Sioux Falls are currently completing an additional supplemental Environmental Assessment to address regulatory and environmental changes that have occurred since 2012.

The project team is currently identifying any changes to local environmental resources and evaluating potential noise or visual impacts along the corridor route. Once this evaluation is complete, the supplemental Environmental Assessment findings will be made available to the public. Resources being evaluated include land use, noise, visual quality, wetlands, floodplains, cultural resources, and threatened and endangered species.