Northeast South Dakota News

A public open house to inform citizens about upcoming construction projects has been postponed to Thursday, March 9, due to an impending winter storm.

The City of Brookings (City) and Brookings Municipal Utilities (BMU) ask people to mark the new date on their calendars. The informational open house will take place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Brookings City and County Government Center in downtown Brookings. During the 90 minutes, people can come and go as their schedules allow. Representatives will be present to explain the projects and answer questions.

The City and BMU want community members to be prepared for what promises to be a challenging construction city. Infrastructure and roadway projects will have a significant impact on 22nd Avenue South, 20th Street, 34th Avenue, Main Avenue South, and University Boulevard.

“We decided it was in the best interest of the public to postpone our open house, given the forecast for a significant weather event this week,” said City Public Works Director John Thompson. “We want as many people to attend the open house as possible. Our goal is to improve communication and educate the public, local business owners, and schools on projects that will affect them throughout the upcoming construction season.”

A website has been created to help people stay up to date on the construction projects. The URL is https://brookingscommunityconstruction.info. On the website, people also can sign up to receive notification of project updates.

The primary construction projects are:

University Boulevard and 22nd Avenue: Replacement of sanitary sewer and roadway improvements along University Boulevard (on the South Dakota State University campus) heading east and north along 22nd Avenue to Miller Parkway.

2nd Avenue South Reconstruction – Phase 2: Reconstruction of 22nd Avenue South between Eastbrook Drive and Eighth Street South with watermain and storm sewer improvements, lighting, traffic signals, new wider concrete travel lanes, and a shared-use path.

BMU Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Replacement – Phase 2: Replacement of sanitary sewer interceptor and manholes starting at the intersection of Western Avenue South and 44th Street South heading east to the intersection of 44th Street South and Main Avenue South and ending at the intersection of Main Avenue South and 37th Street South. 

BMU Raw & Treated Water Pipelines: 

20th Street South from 22nd Avenue South to the South Main Water Tower: Installation of a 20-inch transmission watermain, sanitary sewer improvements, and mill and overlay. 

34th Avenue South between 20th Street South and Sixth Street: Installation of a 20-inch transmission watermain and 18-inch sanitary sewer, plus mill and overlay.

Original source can be found here.