SDDOT in Search of Borrow Material Providers for S.D. Highway 10 Project Near Britton

For Immediate Release:  Thursday, March 24, 2022

Contact:  Jeff Steen, Region Materials Engineer, 605-626-7883

ABERDEEN, S.D. –  In 2024, the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) plans to begin a construction project on S.D. Highway 10 from Britton to approximately ½ mile west of Houghton. The purpose of this project is to enhance the safety and function of the roadway through shoulder widening, replacing a bridge, repairing or replacing culverts, and adding left turn lanes at both S.D. Highway 37 intersections.

The proposed improvements to the roadway will generate the need for a large quantity of fill material. The fill material (known as borrow) is located beneath the topsoil. To date, the SDDOT has been unable to finalize a borrow site for this project due to various factors which include site location, proximity to wetlands, or undesirable physical properties of the material. The SDDOT cannot alter drainage or wetlands through the borrow process. Due to the inability to secure an adequate borrow site to date, the SDDOT is now at risk of needing to delay this project until an adequate borrow site for the project can be secured. Borrow material is removed from the Landowners property by lowering an existing hill/ridge or creating a dugout/hole.

The SDDOT is reaching out to area landowners to garner interest as a borrow provider. The SDDOT will consider and evaluate all prospective sites within 10 miles or less from any point of the construction project.

Prior to construction, the landowner reviews and approves the design for the borrow site. Through a signed borrow agreement with the SDDOT, landowners are compensated for the volume of borrow material removed, the amount of acreage disturbed (crop loss and loss of production), and revegetation (if applicable). Upon completion of the borrow material removal, the site is given its final shape and the topsoil is redistributed over the disturbed area. Final acceptance of the borrow site requires landowner approval and signature for release. 

For interested landowners, there also exists the option for the SDDOT to purchase a parcel for the purpose of obtaining borrow material.

If you are interested in discussing the borrow material process and associated compensation opportunities, please contact Jeff Steen, SDDOT Aberdeen Region Materials Engineer, at 605-626-7883 or via email Jeff.Steen@state.sd.us.

About SDDOT:

The mission of the South Dakota Department of Transportation is to efficiently provide a safe and effective public transportation system.

For the latest on road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

Read more about the innovative work of the SDDOT at https://dot.sd.gov.

-30-