This Might Be Sioux Falls’ Worst Intersection

Sioux Falls has a lot of streets. That's not a revolutionary statement; Sioux Falls is a city nearing a quarter million people. That's a lot of people with a lot of cars.

How Many Streets Are in Sioux Falls?

The City of Sioux Falls says that there are nearly 1000 miles of streets in town. And that number grows by 10 to 15 miles a year.

The city has several VERY busy intersections. The busiest in the state, 41st and Louise, right in front of the Empire Mall. Sycamore and 26th has become a busy thoroughfare. Cliff and 57th handles a huge flow of traffic every day.

MORE: Biggest Pet Peeves of Sioux Falls Drivers. Grrr....

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But while those are busy intersections, they are pretty functional, and it's clear to drivers what to do. The worst intersection in town is none of those.

One of the areas of Sioux Falls with several new streets is on the east side of town. If you know the Eastside Walmart, you know that for the last decade or so, lots of construction has been going on behind the store.

There's the Dawley Farm area, a kind of open-air mall. Then there are all the apartments that are going up in the area. It was all cornfields when I moved to town in 2006; now it's a suburb.

Among all these new additions to Sioux Falls is what I nominate for the title of Worst Intersection in Sioux Falls.

It is right behind the eastside Walmart, where Foss Avenue meets 18th Street. I don't claim to know the topography that the road builders had to deal with; maybe there's some drainage issue. That's something I've heard people say. I don't know why the road was built this way.

RELATED: Sioux Falls Drivers Say These Are the City’s Worst Intersections

Why Foss and 18th Is So Confusing

As you can see in the image above, Foss and 18th create an odd and confusing intersection.

First, there are only three points instead of four. Technically, Foss Ave continues south past its connection with 18th Street. But the road is built in a way that when you're driving, it naturally becomes 18th Street. The intersection has an odd protocol.

Because there is a stop sign northbound on Foss, but no stop signs southbound OR on 18th. One can assume that cars turning onto and off of 18th have the right of way. But there are turning lanes painted on the street. But no place to turn, yet.

Drivers’ Daily Frustration Behind Walmart

It sounds convoluted because it is. It's a pain because this route is a super convenient way to get to Target and the movie theater at Dawley Farm.

But I panic every time there is any other car on the road. I'm not sure how the intersection works, and I'd bet neither do the other drivers, so it's always a confused, embarrassing ordeal.

I don't know how to fix the intersection. Chances are, it will be very different within five years, the way building is going in the area. But, as of right now, this is The Worst Intersection in Sioux Falls.