Blasting on US 385 in Black Hills aims to cut crashes and reopen by 2026

A safety rebuild underway on U.S. 385 through the Black Hills

The South Dakota Department of Transportation is rebuilding and widening a 15-mile stretch of U.S. 385 through the central Black Hills as the department works to make the narrow, winding highway safer, the Associated Press reported. The project, which began in 2024, is budgeted at $72 million and runs from Sheridan Lake on the south to the Pennington-Lawrence county line on the north.

The scope includes widening road shoulders, smoothing out sharp curves, adding turn lanes and softening off-road slopes, according to the report. The department said the work requires dynamite blasts and removal of jagged rocks and huge boulders to create space for wider lanes.

High crash rate and a 50% reduction goal

U.S. 385 is described as the only major north-south highway through the central Black Hills, running from Lead-Deadwood on the north to the Nebraska state line on the south and providing access to communities including Hill City, Custer and Hot Springs. The report also said the corridor helps support a regional tourism industry that brought nearly $2 billion in revenue to South Dakota in 2024.

The department’s safety target is to cut the crash rate on the rebuilt segment by 50%, largely by eliminating tight curves, improving sight lines and expanding shoulders. The report said the state DOT goal is informed by DOT data showing the crash rate on the stretch being rebuilt is more than double the state average.

In the five-year period from 2018-2022, the report said 187 crashes were reported, including four fatalities and 57 injuries. It said a third of the wrecks and most of the deaths occurred when motorists left the roadway, where the route has spots with almost no shoulder space while closely abutting rock walls or rimming significant drop-offs.

Closure schedule shaping travel through Rapid City

The project is in its second major phase and includes full road closures south of Pactola Reservoir. The report said that closure is the final of five closures and requires motorists to use a 40-mile detour through Rapid City.

The department’s work has also created transportation challenges for area residents, schools and emergency services, the report said. It added that many locals have learned alternative routes to avoid the posted detours.

Campground owner sees both delays and benefits

Kristen Kilcoin, who owns and operates Three Forks Campground at the intersection of U.S. highways 385 and 16 just south of Hill City, said the project affected tourism during the past two seasons. She said some tourists were afraid to use the road because it was hit-or-miss whether it would be closed or whether they would hit delays from a pilot car.

“Some tourists were afraid to use the road because it was hit-or-miss whether it was closed or if they would hit delays from a pilot car,” Kilcoin said, according to the report.

Kilcoin also said the construction has brought an unexpected benefit, with the campground and RV park hosting several U.S. 385 construction workers and boosting off-season revenue. She said she is encouraged by the look and feel of sections of the highway that have already been completed.

“It’s going to be really nice, and safer for people driving it,” Kilcoin said. “There’s a couple places where you don’t even recognize it is the same road,” she added, according to the report.

Officials say work is on schedule, with major rock removal as a key challenge

Tim Wicks, the DOT engineer overseeing the project, said in comments published by News Watch that the work has run smoothly with no major delays or injuries to workers reported to date. “As of now, we are on schedule and very happy with the progress,” Wicks told News Watch, according to the report.

Wicks said additional costs often happen on projects but that the project had not seen major problems. He also said drivers who want to see how the highway will look when complete can travel to a stretch north of Pactola Reservoir to the Lawrence County line, where lanes are widened, shoulders expanded and pavement resurfaced.

“The shoulders are wider and the slopes are gentler in case you do run off the road,” Wicks said. “We’re not going to stop every accident, but you’ll have a better chance to avoid it or it will become much less severe,” he said, according to the report.

The report described removal of giant boulders and cutting back rocky ridges as the most challenging and labor-intensive part of the work. Wicks said crews begin “chopping down a Black Hills ridge” at the top because starting at the bottom would create a rocky avalanche risk.

“You don’t just fly up there and land on the top,” Wicks said, according to the report. He described a process known as “pioneering,” in which workers clear trees and rocks to build a path to the top where construction equipment and dynamite blasts are used.

Wicks said starting at the bottom would undermine the surface and cause material to land on crews, according to the report.

Target for Sturgis traffic and completion timeline

One major goal for 2026 is to have the rebuilt highway fully open to traffic during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in early August, the report said. The report noted that U.S. 385 was open during the 2024 rally, but the construction left the road surface uneven in spots, which increased the risk of cycles sliding down.

Wicks said the speed limit should be the typical 55 mph during the 2026 rally. “That’s still weather-dependent, and issues do pop up. But it should be completely free-flowing traffic during the rally,” he said, according to the report.

The report said most of the road construction and rebuilding should be completed in 2026, with only some final road surfacing to be completed in 2027. Wicks said the work is intended for safety.

“It’s all being done for safety,” he said, according to the report.