South Dakota closing portion of U.S. Highway 385

May 31, 2024

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Two complete closures are scheduled on the only north-south highway through the Black Hills of South Dakota for the state’s reconstructing U.S. Highway 385 project.

The first closure, which began on May 20, is between the road to the Pactola North boat ramp and Pactola Dam. It will remain completely closed to traffic for eight weeks, reopening on July 12.

U.S. Highway 385 between state Highway 44 and the road to the Pactola North boat ramp will also be closed to all traffic with temporary openings on weekends. It is anticipated to reopen on June 7.

Highway closure map

“Complete closures were deemed necessary for the safety of the traveling public and efficiency of the project due to the large amount of material being blasted and moved throughout the closure areas,” the South Dakota Department of Transportation said.

Wider shoulders on each side of the road, improved road curves to meet current design standards, additional turning lanes to improve traffic flow and new surfacing will be completed during the closure in South Dakota.

The posted detour is state Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 16. SDDOT recommends travelers use caution when driving on non-maintained roadways.

Land Line’s road conditions for truckers resources page features traffic updates for South Dakota as well as all 50 states.

Emergency services are closely collaborating to provide response coverage, South Dakota officials said.

Some Pactola Lake boat ramps will also temporarily be inaccessible during the U.S. Highway 385 closure in Pennington and Lawrence counties.

The project will also include future construction phases near Sheridan Lake in 2025 and 2026. Surfacing is scheduled for 2027, according to the project website.

For more project information such as maps and timelines go to US-385.com. To receive text alerts, send “US385” to 605-566-4041. LL