WWW.ACPA.ORG 17 SUMMER // 2024 100-YEAR-OLD HIGHWAY 100-Year-Old Highway Shows a Legacy of Durability and Smart Investment SOUTH DAKOTA’S FIRST CONCRETE HIGHWAY TURNED 100 YEARS OLD LAST YEAR, AND IT IS STILL STANDING STRONG. The highway in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was constructed in 1923 and is a testament to the longevity and reliability of concrete. In 1922, South Dakota embarked on constructing its first concrete highway, which still serves its purpose effectively 100 years later. The highway was a project initiated by the South Dakota Department of Transportation, known at the time as the Bureau of Public Roads. The construction started in Sioux Falls and extended to Dell Rapids. The highway’s design included a width of 18 feet, with expansions up to 25 feet at curves to accommodate traffic efficiently. This road was part of the intended King of Trails Highway, connecting Winnipeg, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico. Interesting twists in history saw the highway rerouted twelve years post-construction to accommodate the building of a new railway bridge. Today, four-hundred feet of the original pavement still exists, accommodating parking for the South Dakota State Penitentiary to the north and serving as the driveway to the Iglesia de Jesucristo Church to the south. Despite the changing plans and rerouting, a significant part of this robust concrete structure has survived, demanding minimal maintenance and never undergoing overlay. Potholes and cracks were filled using an asphalt-like substance as joints were not sawed into the original pavement. Constructed using a straightforward 1:2:4 concrete mix comprising one-part cement powder, two parts sand and four parts rock, the highway sustained the harsh South Dakota summers and the icy winters with numerous freeze-thaw cycles annually. Concrete pavement was selected to help withstand heavy I-5 traffic and California’s hot temperatures. The endurance of this highway and the economical decision to allow its continued existence is a testament to the excellent foresight of the state authorities. Today, a nearby greenspace displays a plaque commemorating the road as the first concrete state highway in South Dakota and a historic engineering landmark, as recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Last year, the highway was celebrated as it reached its centennial mark. Jason Reaves, the Executive Director for the South Dakota Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), was among the group of state and local officials marking the road’s hundredth birthday. This road signifies the enduring nature of concrete, portraying it as an economical choice for paving with a lifespan exceeding a century, far surpassing its expected longevity. Therefore, putting money into concrete paving means investing in the future of road infrastructure. The longevity of the pavement has saved taxpayer dollars, reduced maintenance costs and served as a repurposed roadway. Although the highway no longer serves as a fundamental thoroughfare, Sioux Falls takes immense pride in being home to the state’s first paved roadway.
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