What the Heck is Going On With East 26th Street in Sioux Falls?

Hey, Sioux Falls Eastsiders, did you make it to work OK today? Did you make it through the maze of cones that East 26th Street has become between Southeastern and Sycamore?

I'm not going to give away my secret shortcut to avoid the construction. But, I will tell you why the street is a blocks-long, single-lane, gauntlet of traffic fun.

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The section of East 26th Street in Sioux Falls between Cleveland and Sycmore is undergoing road repairs that are expected to last through the late fall of 2023.

The work being done isn't as dramatic as the bridge work from a couple of years ago. According to the City of Sioux Falls, the work on 26th Street is a combination of repairs to the sidewalks and curbs, and eventually an asphalt overlay.

The City says the current single-lane setup should continue through September as the contractor works on one side of the street. When that's done, they'll flip things around and do the other side.

Access to businesses along East 26th Street will not be blocked. With a little patience, you can get where you need to go.

What is an Asphalt Overlay?

According to the folks at Lakeridge Paving, an asphalt overlay is a new layer of asphalt put down on the road to extend its life.

"An asphalt overlay is a layer of new asphalt applied over the existing base layer of asphalt on a driveway, parking lot, or road. These new layers are generally about 1.5- to 3-inches thick, depending on the demands on the asphalt and the depth of surface asphalt removed...it is a way to significantly extend the useful life of your paved surfaces if the base of your pavement is still in good shape." - Lakeridge Paving