SD-19 near Lake Madison closed for repairs

Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010

By CHUCK CLEMENT, Staff Reporter

Part of SD-19 collapsed due to undermining on Tuesday. The road is currently closed south of the intersection with SD-34 in Lake County.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation has closed SD-19 from 235th St. to 237th St. south of Highway 34 to repair a void in the road caused by recent flooding.

SDDOT officials announced on Tuesday that the road will remain closed until the void is repaired.

Don Thomson, director of Lake County Emergency Management, issued an alert message on Tuesday evening that said SD-19 would remain closed south of the highway junction.

According to Thomson, the highway was undermined by recent flooding conditions that occurred on the west side of Lake Madison, and the roadway collapsed. Construction crews will need to repair the section of SD-19 before SDDOT will reopen the highway. Authorities have not determined how long the roadway closure will last.

Motorists are instructed to not travel around the barricades and to not drive over any areas of road that might appear to be drivable. The road has been undermined enough that additional portions of the road may collapse.

Motorists are also urged to use caution when approaching sections where water is flowing adjacent to or over a road. Do not attempt to drive through water covering a highway as the road may be washed out underneath. Instead, turn the vehicle around and use a detour to avoid drowning risks.

For the latest road closure information, visit www.safetravelusa.com/sd or dial 511.

©Madison Daily Leader 2010